Biofeedback is an important tool for both accurate physiotherapy diagnosis and client learning. It senses how much tension is in a muscle. The technology works the same as a heart monitor. When the heart is monitored, electrodes on the chest detect heart (a muscle) activity and the information is displayed on a graph on the heart monitor screen. The person only feels the electrodes being placed and removed.
Pelvic floor biofeedback works much the same way. During pelvic floor biofeedback three electrodes are placed on the skin, two on either side of the anus very close to the opening, while the third electrode is placed on the inner thigh. For women, the electrodes do not go in or touch the area immediately around the vagina. The biofeedback doesn’t provide any electrical output to the patient (It doesn’t zap you!). It simply reads the amount of muscle activity occurring in any given moment. The computer processes this information and a graph is displayed demonstrating the muscle activity.
Biofeedback is a helpful tool in learning to control both contracting and relaxing your pelvic floor muscles. Electrodes can also be used that go in the vagina or anus. We rarely use these, as they can be uncomfortable, they change the sensation of contraction and cost the client more.
