Bowel Dysfunction
Bowel dysfunction causes much anxiety and distress for women, men and children. Problems such as: constipation, whether slow transit or obstructed defaecation; faecal urgency and gas and faecal incontinence; anal fissures, haemorrhoids and rectal prolapse; bloating and pelvic pain related to bowel conditions are distressing conditions which can be helped with pelvic floor physiotherapy strategies. Confidence will be gained from learning these easy-to-understand techniques as continence, ease of defaecation and overall comfort in the bowel region improves.
Following an extensive history taking and assessment, education of the pelvic floor physiotherapy strategies includes:
- Extensive education regarding normal and abnormal bowel function
- Teaching awareness of when to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles
- Teaching awareness of when to relax the pelvic floor muscles
- Teaching how to coordinate the pelvic floor muscles to effect complete evacuation
- Advice regarding product use to help with achieving a soft, easy-to-pass stool
- Instruction in the correct position and dynamics of defaecation (always taught at the initial consultation)
- Up-to-date treatment strategies for treating persistent pelvic pain felt in the ano-rectal region.
- Biofeedback EMG may be used to help gain coordination of the defaecatory mechanism
- E-Stim may be offered to help if the external anal sphincter is weak to help strengthen this striated muscle.
- TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation)