Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Practice Point
  • Published:

Is biofeedback therapy an effective treatment for dyssynergic defecation?

Nature Clinical Practice Gastroenterology & Hepatology volume 5, pages 74–75 (2008)Cite this article

boxed-textRao SS et al. (2007) Randomized controlled trial of biofeedback, sham feedback, and standard therapy for dyssynergic defecation. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 5: 331–338

Biofeedback therapy is the preferred treatment for patients with constipation and dyssynergic defecation

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Higgins PD and Johanson JF (2004) Epidemiology of constipation in North America: a systematic review. Am J Gastroenterol 99: 750–759

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Chiarioni G et al. (2006) Biofeedback is superior to laxatives for normal transit constipation due to pelvic floor dyssynergia. Gastroenterology 130: 657–664

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Heymen S et al. (2007) Randomized, controlled trial shows biofeedback to be superior to alternative treatments for patients with pelvic floor dyssynergia-type constipation. Dis Colon Rectum 50: 428–441

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Chiarioni G et al. (2005) Biofeedback benefits only patients with outlet dysfunction, not patients with isolated slow transit constipation. Gastroenterology 129: 86–97

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The synopsis was written by Rachel Jones, Associate Editor, Nature Clinical Practice.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Center for Functional Gastrointestinal and Motility Disorders, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7080, USA william_whitehead@med.unc.edu

Authors and Affiliations

  1. WE Whitehead is Professor of Medicine, Adjunct Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Co-Director of the Center for Functional Gastrointestinal and Motility Disorders at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,

    William E Whitehead

Authors
  1. William E Whitehead
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The author declares no competing financial interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Whitehead, W. Is biofeedback therapy an effective treatment for dyssynergic defecation?. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 5, 74–75 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncpgasthep1032

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ncpgasthep1032

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing