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Objective Electromyography (EMG) biofeedback has been suggested as a relatively new approach to help resolve muscle disorders. This research aimed to evaluate the influence of 8 weeks of proximal pelvic muscle training and biofeedback on pain, muscle strength, and their EMG activity in individuals suffering from patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS). Materials & Methods This randomized clinical trial was performed on 30 young people aged 22 to 45 with PFPS. People in the intervention group (15 people) received EMG biofeedback of the abductor (gluteus medius) and external rotator (gluteus maximus) muscles along with routine physiotherapy treatments, including stretching exercises, isometric exercises of gluteal and quadriceps muscles, and conventional transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. In the control group (15 people), routine physiotherapy treatments were only performed on the patients. The participants of two groups were treated for 8 weeks, 3 sessions every week. Pain by a visual analog scale (VAS), maximal voluntary isometric strength (MVIC) of the abductor and external rotator muscles of the thigh with a dynamometer, and activity of these muscles, including maximum contraction, integrated EMG and onset EMG using EMG, were measured before and after the interventions. Results MVIC and EMG of the gluteus medius muscle demonstrated that the intervention group had more maximum EMG activity (P=0.043) and MVIC (P=0.003) than the control group. MVIC and the maximum EMG activity of the gluteus maximus muscle showed no significant difference between the two groups. Still, the increase in the integrated EMG of this muscle in the intervention group indicated a greater increase than in the control group (P=0.0001). Moreover, people in the intervention group had significantly less pain than the group of routine exercises alone after 8 weeks of treatment (P=0.016). Conclusion Adding 8 week biofeedback training of abductor and external rotator muscles to the routine therapeutic exercise in PFPS can lead to pain reduction, improvement of muscle strength and better performance of these muscles. This change could potentially slow down the degenerative process of the patellofemoral joint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Objective: The over active bladder syndrome is one of the women ‘s health problem that it usually accompanied by frequency and nocturia with or without urgency urinary incontinency. The aim of the study was to compare the effect of percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation with biofeedback-assisted pelvic floor muscle training on quality of life and frequency of urination in young women with overactive bladder. Materials & Methods: In this double-blind randomized clinical trial, 60 females aged 18 to 45 years with overactive bladder were randomly divided into two equal groups. The first group underwent biofeedback-assisted pelvic floor muscle training plus Kegel exercises three times a week for twelve sessions. The second group underwent percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation plus Kegel exercises, performed three times a week for twelve sessions using a two-channel stimulator with device. The frequency of daily urination was the primary outcome. Quality of life, severity of overactive bladder symptoms, severity of urinary incontinence symptoms, frequency of nocturnal urination, and urgency were secondary outcomes. The criterion for the rate of success was <0.05. Results: In comparison between groups, a statistically significant difference was observed in the number of daily urinations, nocturnal urinations, and urgency, in favor of the percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation group (p<0.01). Meanwhile, in terms of urinary incontinence, this advantage was in favor of the biofeedback group (p<0.01). No significant difference was observed in terms of quality of life and severity of overactive bladder symptoms between the two groups. Conclusion: Percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation and biofeedback-assisted pelvic floor muscle training are two minimally invasive, easy, and cost-effective methods that can reduce the frequency of urination and increase the quality of life, and probably reduce the risk of surgery in these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Urinary incontinence (URIN) and fecal incontinence (FEIN) are common in women, which affect various aspects of their daily life and general health. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of biofeedback (BFB) in women with urinary and FEIN referring to the hospitals of Islamic Azad University of Medical Sciences, Tehran branch, Iran (2021). Materials and Methods: This research was a cohort study that was conducted on 100 women with urinary and FEIN who were referred to selected hospitals of the Islamic Azad University of Medical Sciences, Tehran branch. In this study, before and after BFB, the amount of urinary and FEIN in patients was measured and finally compared by SPSS-ver. 16 software. Results: The results of this study showed that the frequency of patients with URIN and FEIN was equal to 66 (66%) and 34 (66%) patients, respectively. After treatment with BFB, 39 (59.1%) patients with URIN and 39 (59.1%) patients with FEIN had symptom improvement. The mean body mass index and the number of pregnancies in patients who improved urinary and FEIN symptoms after BFB were significantly lower than in patients who did not improve symptoms. Conclusion: Based on the findings of the present study, it can be concluded that effective and significant factors on the improvement of urinary and FEIN symptoms after BFB include fiber consumption, the presence of underlying diseases such as diabetes, blood pressure, type of delivery, history of depression, history of anorectal surgery, and vaginal delivery was difficult. In addition, based on the findings of the study, it can be said that BFB has an acceptable effect in improving the symptoms of urinary and FEIN in women, although additional studies are needed to confirm the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Menopause is associated with a plethora of problems particularly hot flashes. This study aims to compare the effect of biofeedback and auriculotherapy on hot flashes in menopausal women in Kerman, Iran. Methods: This study, a pilot clinical trial with a pretest-posttest control group design, was conducted on 39 postmenopausal women referring to the private offices of obstetricians and gynecologists in Kerman, Iran, in 2019. The participants were divided into 3 groups (n = 13 in each group) using simple random assignment. In the first and second intervention groups, the biofeedback program and auriculotherapy were conducted by the researcher 10 times in 45- and 30-min sessions twice a week, respectively. In the control group, routine care was provided. The participants completed the checklist of severity and frequency of hot flashes before, immediately, and 4 weeks postintervention. Results: Immediate and 4-week postintervention biofeedback and auriculotherapy had a significant effect on reducing the severity and frequency of hot flashes (P < 0.001). However, the effect of auriculotherapy on mitigating the severity and frequency of hot flashes immediately and 4-week postintervention was more significant than that of biofeedback (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Biofeedback and auriculotherapy may be effective in the treatment of hot flashes. Hence, they can be recommended as therapeutic methods for postmenopausal women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Although previous trials investigated the effectiveness of exercise training programs in muscular dystrophy (MD) patients, we faced a lack of evidence on biofeedback. This study aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of a 6-week supervised strengthening exercise training program with electromyography-Biofeedback (EMG-BFB) on muscle strength, motor function, and balance of MD patients. Methods. Forty MD patients were assigned randomly to EMG-BFB group (n = 20) and supervised strengthening exercise program as the control group (CG). Training strengthening program consisted of 12 sessions twice weekly for 30 minutes for 6 weeks. Patients in EMG-BFB group did exercises using biofeedback. Patients in CG also performed conventional exercises under the supervision of therapist for 6 weeks. The primary outcome was change in muscle strength. Other secondary outcomes were fatigue severity test, Vignos scale, timed up go test, stair climb test, stand up from supine position test, Berg balance scale, and quality of life. All outcomes measured pre- and post-intervention and 3 months after program. Results. The compliance rate was 60% in this study. Significant improvements with training were observed in the hip muscles strength and Berg balance scale (BBS), motor function measure-32, and fatigue scale by week 6 and further to week 12 in both groups. Only the BBS improvement showed significant change in the intervention group in comparison to the control group (P = 0.040), which was not correlated with muscle strengths (P = 0.420). Conclusions. This study demonstrated benefits of a supervised strengthening exercise program in MD patients. These benefits seem to be occurred without any adverse effects to cause patients to drop out of the study. According to some balance improvements, EMG-Biofeedback might be helpful in rehabilitation programs of MD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dyssynergic defecation disorder (DD) has recognized as the main factor for chronic functional constipation. This was a debilitating disease effective on diverse aspects of physical, psychological and social functions as well as patients' quality of life generally. Modern studies show positive impact of biofeedback therapy on dyssynergic defecation. This study was evaluated the efficacy of biofeedback on quality of life in patients with dyssynergic defecation. Materials and Methods: A total of 30 patients with dyssynergic defecation disorder visited tertiary care centers who were selected. Among them, 15 subjects underwent 8 biofeedback therapy sessions as experimental group and remaining subjects were placed into control group without biofeedback intervention. Both groups participated in pre-test and post-test of 36-item short form survey (SF-36) of quality of life. Data were analyzed and compared by analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Results: Findings shows that biofeedback therapy was effective on quality of life patients with dyssynergic defecation (p= 0.001) Also, index effect suggested that 53% increased of QOL patients with dyssynergic defecation in experimental group can be related to biofeedback therapy. Also in 8 cases, results indicated that biofeedback therapy was effect on quality of life in patients with DD (p<0.05). Conclusion: Given the results in this study, biofeedback is a long-term effective method to treat with limited side effects in dyssynergic defecation and patients QOL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biofeedback is a well-known and effective treatment for patients with fecal evacuation disorder (FED). The main purpose of this study was to investigate the outcome and the effects of biofeedback therapy on physiological parameters as assessed by manometry in patients with FED. Data from 114 consecutive patients with FED who underwent biofeedback therapy in Sara Gastrointestinal clinic in Tehran, Iran during 2015-2018 were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed. All participants underwent a comprehensive evaluation of anorectal function that included anorectal manometry and a balloon expulsion test at the baseline and after biofeedback therapy. Maximum anal squeeze pressure and sustained anal squeeze pressure were improved up to 100% and 94.7% of normal values in the patients after biofeedback, respectively (P < 0.001). First rectal sensation, was significantly decreased (25 ± 18.5 vs. 15.5 ± 5.2) while the maximum tolerable volume was significantly increased (233.6 ± 89.7 vs. 182.4 ± 23.1) after biofeedback therapy (P < 0.001). Type I dyssynergia was the most common type, effecting 82 cases (71.9%) of our patients. Dyssynergia parameters were improved 50-80% in 34 (41.5%) and 10 (31.3%) type I and non-type I patients, respectively. Over 80% improvement of dyssynergia parameters occurred in 48 (58.5%) and 22 (68.8%) type I and non-type I patients, respectively. These differences were not statistically significant between the two groups (P = 0.3). In addition, the ability to reject the balloon was significantly better in post intervention measurements (P < 0.001). Biofeedback not only improves the symptoms in patients of FED but also reverses more than 80% the dyssynergic parameters of defecation. However, due to the general effectiveness of biofeedback treatment in different types of DD, there were no significant differences between their improvement scores.