Low female sexual arousal. Negative results using biofeedback and sex therapy.

One adult woman got biofeedback plus regular sex therapy for low sexual arousal. The team tracked 32 body and mind measures before and after treatment.

They used a single-case design. The client also filled out self-ratings each week.

Only four or five of the 32 measures budged. Heart rate, skin response, and most survey scores stayed flat.

The woman said she felt better, but the numbers did not back her up. Objective arousal signals barely moved.

Thomas et al. (2026) looked at 35 studies of short auditory feedback. Almost all saw clear behavior gains. Their wide lens shows biofeedback can work, yet this 1983 case did not.

Meuret et al. (2001) ran a tiny case series on panic. Four adults raised blood CO₂ and cut panic in four weeks. Same tool—biofeedback—different problem, positive result.

Warnes et al. (2005) used EMG biofeedback with a teen. Muscle tension dropped over 60% and school days rose. Again, biofeedback won, but the target was throat muscles, not sexual response.

Biofeedback is not a magic ticket for every private body event. For sexual arousal, talk-plus-feedback may please the client yet leave physiology unchanged. Measure both sides before you claim victory. If you track arousal, pick clear, sensitive metrics and watch them across baseline and treatment. And if numbers stay flat, shift the plan—don't bank on self-report alone.