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Your physician has scheduled you for a series of Biofeedback
sessions at The Continence Center to improve your urinary or bowel control.
A nurse from The Continence Center will be calling you
to schedule your first appointment. You probably have many questions
about this procedure. The following may help answer those questions.
What is Biofeedback?
Biofeedback is a method of teaching you exercises to improve your
bladder/bowel control by strengthening the muscles of the pelvic
floor that surround the urinary/rectal sphincter. Research statistics
show that Biofeedback may be up to 85% effective in curing some types
of incontinence when used alone or in conjunction with other methods.
It is also helpful in treating urinary frequency, urgency and urinary
retention. Your session will be with a registered nurse certified
in Urology.
How Does It Work?
The use of a computer shows you at each visit how much improvement
you have made in strengthening the pelvic floor muscles, improvement
in urinary/fecal incontinence, urgency, and frequency symptoms. You
will see graphic representation of your muscle contractions on a
color monitor. By learning to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles
that control incontinenece and relaxing muscles that have a negative
effect, you can achieve better or total control over your urinary/bowel
problem.
How Is It Done?
A small probe is inserted gently into the vagina (similar to inserting
a tampon) in the female or rectally in the male. This probe will
be given to you at your initial visit. This device is designed to
pick up the activity of the musculature that controls continence.
The muscle activity during relaxation, contraction and sustained
contraction is shown on the computer screen. This helps you identify
the muscle and provides visual "feedback" as you learn
to have control over it. Small electrodes (like EKG patches) will
be placed on your abdomen to teach you to NOT contract it while you
are exercising. If you have problems identifying the muscle, electrical
stimulation may be done to help you with this.
How many sessions do I need?
The average number of sessions is three to five. You will be seen
initially and the next sessions will be spaced between 2 weeks and
1 month apart. The initial session is about 1 hour with followup
visits from 30-45 minutes long. Your pelvic floor muscle strength
will be measured at each visit. Your nurse therapist may also work
with you on such things as bladder/bowel retraining, dietary changes,
and pad management.
What is my responsibility between sessions?
Between sessions you will be asked to faithfully perform your exercises
at home on a daily basis. You will be given written instructions
and a cassette tape will be offered to help you with this. You may
be asked to keep bladder records. Your overall success depends on
how faithfully you practice your exercises.
For more information or for an appointment, please call The Continence Center:
Phone: (941) 917-2365
FAX: (941) 917-7132
Location: 1921 Waldemere Street, Suite 401, Waldemere Medical Plaza
