Bowel

1 in 20 Australians have a bowel control problem

 

Embarrassed by bowel or wind leakage? Straining when you’re opening your bowels?

Do any of these bowel symptoms sound familiar to you?

  • Bowel incontinence:

    Accidentally leaking solid or liquid bowel actions (‘poo’ or faeces) and / or wind.

  • Urgency:

    Needing to rush to the toilet when you need to open your bowels.

  • Constipation:

    Difficulty passing bowel movements and / or you’re not frequently opening your bowels. You may also have the following symptoms: hard and dry stools, excessive straining, feeling like your bowels are not completely emptied after a bowel movement.

  • Frequency:

    Feeling like you need to open your bowels more often than you should. This is commonly associated with diarrhoea.

  • Irritable bowel syndrome:

    A condition of the digestive system which can cause a variety of uncomfortable symptoms. Symptoms you may be experiencing could include: abdominal pain, wind, constipation and / or diarrhoea, bloating

  • Haemorrhoids:

    Also known as ‘piles’. This can be the result of constipation and straining to open your bowels. Straining or pushing to have a bowel movement can damage the veins in your back passage (rectum) and cause bleeding, soreness and itching

What could be causing your bowel problems?

Pelvic floor dysfunction where your pelvic floor is too weak or too tight (overactive) can cause bowel problems. However, there can be many other things that can also impact on bowel health including:

  • Stress / anxiety

  • Long history of constipation

  • Diet - not enough fibre in your diet or having foods that could be aggravating your symptoms

  • Not having enough fluids throughout the day

  • Insufficient exercise

  • Medications such as pain medication and antibiotics

  • Rectal prolapse - where your back passage (rectum) ‘drops down’ through your bottom hole (anus)

  • Bowel disorders such as diverticulitis, ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease

  • Some types of bowel surgery

For women:

  • Pregnancy and childbirth

  • Menopause

  • Prolapse of the bowel (see prolapse page)

How can Advance Pelvic Health help you?

Research has shown that lifestyle changes (such as eating a healthy diet high in fibre and drinking well) combined with pelvic floor muscle training with an experienced therapist helps improve bowel symptoms in both men and women.

With our extensive experience, we will assess your condition using various assessment strategies including pelvic floor examinations for both men and women and external ultrasound assessments of the pelvic floor. You may also be asked to complete a bowel diary so we can assess your bowel symptoms thoroughly.

Our treatment strategies will be tailored around what we find in our detailed assessment of your bowel symptoms and what you want to achieve. We will provide education about your condition and create an evidence-based personalised program that fits into your lifestyle.

You are not alone. We’re ready to listen and here to help.