The Role of Biofeedback in the Treatment of Sexual Dysfunction

Abstract

Biofeedback-based or biofeedback-augmented interventions have the potential to serve as first-line treatments for sexual dysfunction concerns, especially among women, for whom current psychosocial treatments are lacking. This brief review summarizes the literature on biofeedback treatments for sexual concerns and highlights recent findings. Biofeedback has been employed in the treatment of various domains of sexual dysfunction, including sexual pain and arousal in women and erectile function in men. Specifically, electromyographic (EMG) biofeedback is widely considered an effective tool to ameliorate sexual pain in women. Though EMG biofeedback has shown efficacy in several studies, it has not been proven to be superior to other (e.g., psychological, surgical) treatments. The results of studies assessing the effects of EMG biofeedback on erectile function are mixed, though men recovering from prostatectomy may benefit from the combination of biofeedback and pelvic floor physiotherapy. Heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback may improve sexual arousal function in women, though more research is needed in this area. Evidence for the use of biofeedback to treat other sexual problems is lacking. Biofeedback is well-accepted as a primary or adjunctive treatment for specific sexual concerns in women and may be useful for improving erectile function in post-operative men. However, biofeedback would likely be best utilized as part of a multidimensional treatment model, including psychological, pharmacological, and surgical steps. Future research may better determine the precise role of biofeedback in multicomponent treatment protocols.