Pelvic floor training with biofeedback

Biofeedback is a non-invasive technique that teaches children to have more voluntary (self) control over their pelvic floor muscles using audio and visual cues from a computer program.

Biofeedback helps kids have healthier, more complete trips to the bathroom! It trains kids to relax and contract their pelvic floor and sphincter muscles correctly to prevent urine loss and more efficiently empty their bladder during urination.

Why choose CHoR for your biofeedback therapy?

Our urology team is the only one in Virginia to offer this specialized approach to care.
U.S. News & World Report has ranked our urology program among the top 50 pediatric urology programs in the country! You and your child will have a dedicated pediatric biofeedback specialist that will spend time getting to know you, ensure there is privacy at every session and help move at a pace that is comfortable for your child.
We are a referral center for patients with complex needs from across Virginia and beyond.

Who needs pelvic floor training?

biofeedback therapy Some children develop an abnormal voiding pattern in which the muscle groups of the urinary tract do not work together in a coordinated manner. Instead, the bladder and sphincter muscles strain against each other (also called detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia) which can cause increased bladder pressures, incomplete bladder emptying and possibly urine backflow to the kidneys.

This training is useful for children who have:

Urine accidents or leaking
Abnormal urine flow
Recurrent urinary tract infections
An intermittent voiding pattern or incomplete bladder emptying
Strain with voiding

It is necessary to change this uncoordinated muscle pattern to improve urinary tract health.

If your child is experiencing symptoms, your pediatrician or health care provider can refer you to our urology team. We will run diagnostic testing to confirm that biofeedback will be a good care option for your child.

What to expect during a biofeedback session

We offer weekly biofeedback clinics at our Stony Point and downtown Richmond locations.

At each pelvic floor training session, you and your child will meet with our biofeedback nurse for 60-90 minutes. This session will be individualized for your child and guided by the doctor or nurse practitioner. We’ll review your child’s specific symptoms and their progress from previous visits.

Please have your child dress in comfortable clothes. They will remain in their own clothes throughout the visit. They will have skin electrodes (“stickers”) placed on their abdomen, hip and buttock areas. Please allow your child to drink on the way to the appointment so they have a full bladder.

Three to six sessions are typically needed to develop coordinated muscle patterns. Be prepared to continue work at home between sessions. This will reinforce technique and improve your child’s progress.

How are the biofeedback sessions at CHoR different from other physical therapy sessions?

Our dedicated biofeedback specialists have special training and experience to provide individualized care beyond what physical therapy or other treatments alone can support.

During individualized, 60 to 90-minute sessions you can expect to:

Review medications and check-in to see how your child is doing
Review diagnostic and biofeedback exercises to see how well your child can squeeze their pelvic floor.
Review educational materials and answer questions
Conduct uro flow/EMG testing, if needed
Have non-invasive electrodes placed on your child to assess their progress. Our kid-friendly equipment can even switch to game mode for some fun!