Investigating the effects of using Tecar therapy with biofeedback compared to biofeedback alone in the treatment of fecal incontinence in children aged 4 to 16 years: a randomized clinical trial study

• Published in: Gastroenterology and hepatology from bed to bench Vol. 18; no. 1; pp. 82 - 90
• Main Authors: Matlabi Lotfabadi, Azadeh, Ghaderi, Fariba, Nazary-Moghadam, Salman, Kianifar, Hamid Raza, Sarbakhsh, Parvin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Iran Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences 2025
• Subjects: Original; Fecal incontinence; Biofeedback; Tecar; Constipation
• ISSN: 2008-2258; 2008-4234
• DOI: 10.22037/ghfbb.v18i1.3093

Biofeedback has gained widespread recognition for its ability to facilitate and strengthen pelvic floor muscle function, making it a treatment of choice for these patients. Fecal incontinence is a common issue among children, particularly those with chronic constipation, significantly affecting both the child's and their family's quality of life. Effective therapeutic interventions are essential to mitigate the symptoms and improve overall well-being. Physiotherapy for pediatric fecal incontinence focuses on strengthening, enhancing endurance, and improving coordination of the anal sphincter and pelvic floor muscles. This single-blind clinical trial examined the combined efficacy of Tecar therapy and biofeedback compared to biofeedback alone, with standard medical care serving as the control group. The study included 81 children diagnosed with fecal incontinence. Key outcomes evaluated were the severity of incontinence, severity of constipation, and frequency of incontinence episodes per week. These variables were evaluated before and after a six-week treatment period. Statistical analysis included repeated measures ANOVA for within-group comparisons and one-way ANOVA for between-group comparisons. The results indicated significant improvements across all measured variables in the intervention groups compared to the control group. Notably, the combination of Tecar therapy and biofeedback outperformed biofeedback alone in certain aspects, such as lowering the severity of incontinence. The findings underscore physiotherapy as a non-invasive and effective first-line intervention for managing fecal incontinence and chronic constipation in pediatric populations. When feasible, the combination of Tecar therapy and biofeedback is recommended to achieve superior outcomes.