Biofeedback therapy – a blessing for patients with constipation and diarrhea Father Wang had been constipated for many years and found it very difficult to relieve his bowels every time. The doctor warmly received Father Wang, and after detailed inquiry and rectal and anal canal pressure measurement, analyzed that the cause of constipation was due to the uncoordinated contraction of the anal sphincter during defecation, and suggested him to adopt biofeedback therapy, and hoped that he would build up confidence, actively cooperate with the doctor and persist in the treatment process. Father Wang was taken into a quiet treatment room, and after he calmly laid down on the bed, the doctor patiently explained the treatment process to him: he could see the images on the computer monitor through the reflection of a mirror in front of him. When the doctor inserted a thin catheter with an air bag into his anus, a number of high and low curves appeared on the monitor. The doctor explained to him that these were the pressure curves of the rectal and anal sphincter muscles that control bowel movements in his body. These pressure curves change as Daddy Wang tightens his anus, simulates defecation, relaxes, and many other actions. In response to the changing curves on the screen, the doctor pointed out which actions were correct and which were incorrect in the process of defecation; he instructed him to contract and stretch the muscles in the correct way and correct the wrong actions. The doctor then injected air into the airbag until Daddy Wang felt the sensation of defecation, and instructed him to contract and stretch the anal sphincter according to the curve on the display, with the aim of allowing Daddy Wang to effectively relax the anal sphincter during defecation. And he was encouraged to do it in the correct way, repeatedly, and asked to gradually transition to the point where he could make the correct movements without looking at the curve. This is biofeedback therapy. Hou Xiaohua, Department of Gastroenterology, Wuhan Union Medical College Hospital So, what is biofeedback therapy? What are the uses? What diseases can be treated? Under normal circumstances, human beings cannot perceive various physiological activities in the body, such as the digestion of food, smooth muscle contraction, etc., while biofeedback therapy allows patients to observe the information of their own physiological activities. In short, biofeedback therapy is a kind of bio-behavioral therapy method, which is to use special equipment to collect information about one’s own physiological activity, process and amplify it, and display it with familiar visual or auditory signals, so that the cerebral cortex can establish feedback links with these organs; to make the patient “know oneself”, and under the condition of knowing oneself Through countless feedback and continuous positive and negative attempts, the patient learns to control the physiological activities at will and corrects those that deviate from the normal range, so that the patient can achieve the purpose of “changing the self”. Constipation has always been a difficult problem to treat because of its complex causes and stubborn symptoms. Traditional methods, i.e., increasing the body’s intake of fiber and water, are limited; long-term use of contact laxatives can lead to intestinal plexus lesions; and surgical treatment of constipation is both painful and dangerous, with a high recurrence rate. The emergence of biofeedback therapy has undoubtedly opened up new ideas and enriched the treatment of constipation. In the above example, the pressure of the perianal muscles was recorded through a catheter inserted into Daddy Wang’s body and displayed on a computer screen through a computer. Through the screen, Daddy Wang observed the pressure changes of his anal sphincter during anal contraction and diastole, and learned when it was correct to stretch the anus through the doctor’s guidance and deepened the impression in his mind. Through continuous and repeated training, one learns to control the activity of the anal sphincter at will and improves the strength and coordination of the muscle, thus achieving the purpose of treatment. In addition to treating constipation, biofeedback therapy is also effective for functional fecal incontinence and functional anorectal pain. For patients with these abnormalities biofeedback is a very safe and effective method, but patients should be aware that the method needs to be adhered to for 3-6 months before the effect can be maintained. Since the invention of biofeedback therapy in the 1970s, its unique treatment and reliable efficacy have attracted great attention in clinical practice and have been widely used abroad. However, because of its relatively non-invasive, easy to tolerate, low treatment cost and outpatient treatment advantages, it has been increasingly recognized and accepted by the majority of gastroenterology factors. It is believed that in the near future, biofeedback therapy will relieve the pain of more and more patients and bring good news.