The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point
  • About this web log

    This blog ran from 2006 to 2016 and was intended as an objective and dispassionate source of information on the latest CAM research. Since my background is in pharmacy and allopathic medicine, I view all CAM as advancing through the development pipeline to eventually become integrated into mainstream medical practice. Some will succeed while others fail. But all are treated fairly here.

  • About the author

    John Russo, Jr., PharmD, is president of The MedCom Resource, Inc. Previously, he was senior vice president of medical communications at www.Vicus.com, a complementary and alternative medicine website.

  • Common sense considerations

    The material on this weblog is for informational purposes. It is not medical advice or counsel. Be smart, consult your health professional before using CAM.

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  • Recent Comments

    Biofeedback helps defecation, again

    This is the second study in 2 months to report a positive effect with biofeedback to treat pelvic floor dyssynergia-type constipation.

    There are 3 types of constipation. Dyssynergia-type occurs when a person losses the ability to coordinate contractions of the pelvic floor muscles and to relax the anal sphincter during defecation.

    In this study, 77 people with chronic constipation and dyssynergic defecation were assigned to biofeedback, sham feedback therapy, or standard therapy (diet, exercise, and laxatives).

    And the results.

    • People in the biofeedback group were more likely to correct dyssynergia and improve defecation more than the other groups.
    • Colonic transit improved after biofeedback or standard, but not after sham.
    • In the biofeedback group, the number of complete spontaneous bowel movements increased, and was higher than in other groups.
    • The use of digital maneuvers decreased.
    • Global bowel satisfaction was higher in the biofeedback than sham group.

    The researchers concluded, “biofeedback is the preferred treatment for constipated patients with dyssynergia.

    A summary of the earlier study is here.

    Illustration: Children, Youth, and Women Health Center

    3/21/07 23:43 JR

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