Bowel Issues

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Bowel Issues *

Common Bowel Issues We Address

At Liberate Pelvic Health, we specialize in helping individuals manage and overcome a variety of bowel-related concerns. Whether you're dealing with chronic discomfort, irregularity, or other GI issues, we’re here to help you regain control and improve your quality of life.

Pelvic floor therapy can help with several bowel issues, including:

  1. Chronic Constipation

    Difficulty passing stool due to pelvic floor muscle dysfunction, such as tightness or lack of coordination.

  2. Fecal Incontinence

    Involuntary leakage of stool or gas due to weak or uncoordinated pelvic floor muscles.

  3. Incomplete Emptying

    Feeling like you haven’t fully emptied your bowels, often due to pelvic floor dysfunction or dyssynergic defecation (when muscles don’t relax properly).

  4. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)-Related Dysfunction

    Pelvic floor occupational therapy can help with bowel urgency, bloating, and discomfort caused by pelvic floor muscle dysfunction.

  5. Pelvic Pain with Bowel Movements

    Pain or Discomfort with Bowel Movements is another sign that pelvic floor impairments may be contributing to your dysfunction. Pelvic pain, rectal pain, or tailbone pain before, during, or after bowel movements, feeling of pressure or heaviness in the rectum, or pain that worsens with straining or prolonged sitting are all signs that you may be a good candidate to explore pelvic floor therapy. Often due to muscle tightness, nerve sensitivity, or conditions like dyssynergic defecation.

  6. Rectal Prolapse or Rectocele

    Pelvic floor therapy can assist in managing symptoms and strengthening the muscles to provide better support

  7. Functional GI Disorders

    Functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorders refer to conditions where the GI tract appears normal but doesn’t function properly. These may include bloating, abdominal pain, or difficulty with bowel movements. Our tailored treatments focus on addressing the root causes and restoring balance to your digestive system.

  8. Post-Surgical or Postpartum Bowel Issues

    Including scar tissue restrictions or weakness following surgery, childbirth, or injury.

How Pelvic Floor Therapy Can Help With Bowel Issues

Pelvic floor therapy targets the muscles responsible for bowel function, helping to alleviate symptoms caused by weak, tight, or uncoordinated pelvic muscles. Techniques like biofeedback, muscle relaxation exercises, and education on bowel habits can significantly improve function and comfort.  Pelvic floor occupational therapy (OT) can be highly beneficial for functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorders by addressing both the physical and behavioral aspects of bowel dysfunction. Functional GI disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), functional constipation, and functional fecal incontinence, often involve pelvic floor muscle dysfunction, nervous system dysregulation, and daily habit-related triggers. Here’s how pelvic floor OT can help:

1. Improving Pelvic Floor Muscle Coordination

  • Many functional GI disorders involve dyssynergic defecation, where the pelvic floor muscles do not relax properly to allow stool to pass.

  • OT uses biofeedback, manual therapy, and targeted exercises to retrain these muscles for better bowel coordination.

2. Addressing Nervous System Dysregulation

  • Functional GI disorders are often linked to stress, anxiety, and an overactive nervous system.

  • OT incorporates breathwork, vagus nerve stimulation, and mindfulness techniques to shift the body into a more relaxed, parasympathetic state, improving digestion and reducing bowel urgency or constipation.

3. Postural and Toileting Strategies

  • OT can help improve toileting posture (e.g., using a footstool to achieve a more natural squat position).

  • Guidance on timing, frequency, and relaxation techniques during bowel movements to reduce straining and incomplete evacuation.

4. Sensory Processing & Gut-Brain Connection

  • Some individuals with functional GI disorders have heightened visceral sensitivity or difficulty interpreting bowel signals.

  • OT can use sensory regulation techniques to help individuals better recognize and respond to their body’s cues for bowel movements.

5. Lifestyle & Environmental Modifications

  • OT can help establish consistent routines for hydration, movement, and dietary habits that support healthy bowel function.

  • Training in body mechanics and movement strategies to reduce pain or discomfort associated with bowel movements.

6. Pain Management for Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

  • Chronic pelvic pain, bloating, or discomfort with bowel movements can be addressed through myofascial release, desensitization techniques, and guided relaxation exercises.

By combining muscle retraining with nervous system regulation and daily habit changes, pelvic floor OT provides a holistic approach to managing functional GI disorders. 

Our Approach To Treating Constipation, IBS & More

Our holistic approach combines pelvic floor rehabilitation best practices, occupational therapy principles, dietary exploration and stress management to address bowel issues comprehensively. We work with you to create a personalized plan that fits your unique needs and promotes sustainable relief.  By combining muscle coordination retraining and myofascial constriction release, with nervous system regulation and daily habit changes, pelvic floor OT provides a holistic, non-invasive approach to managing and reducing your bowel issues. 

Remembering that you are the expert of your body while integrating the wealth of knowledge that pelvic floor therapy has to offer is the framework for creating meaningful change and exploration.  

Change happens when our nervous system is regulated and our genuine curiosity is peaked.  Oftentimes people come in very overwhelmed by the dysfunction and discomfort they are experiencing.  Holding these hard things lightly while finding fun ways to explore strategies that can create relief and healing is what it’s all about. 

Signs Your Bowel Issues May Be Related To Pelvic Health

Pelvic floor dysfunction may only be a part of the problem, however it is a meaningful one to explore as it is something that can be impacted through less invasive measures than pharmaceuticals or surgery.  Here are some signs that your pelvic floor and/or the tissue in your pelvic bowl may be contributing to your bowel issues:

  • Straining or pain during bowel movements

  • Feeling of incomplete emptying after using the restroom

  • Chronic constipation or diarrhea

  • Uncontrollable bowel leakage

  • Abdominal pain paired with pelvic discomfort

  • Interruptions to daily life and functioning due to pain, discomfort, or difficulty with going to the bathroom

If you experience these symptoms, a pelvic rehab assessment can help pinpoint the functional factors and guide treatment.

Why Choose Liberate Pelvic Health For Bowel Care?

Rachel’s interest in pelvic floor therapy started while working at a hospital unit for eating disorders.   People with eating disorders often experience bowel issues related to their eating habits and body image disturbance.  As one of the only rehab professionals in the country working with this population, I found myself having a unique lens to view bowel issues.  When you're a hammer, everything is a nail.  So as a rehab therapist, I was curious how the motor coordination of the pelvic floor was contributing to digestive dysfunction beyond the nutritional and psychological factors that were more readily addressed by the eating disorder industry.  Because digestive dysfunction was the initial seed of curiosity for training in pelvic floor therapy, it continues to be an area of interest and professional development in Rachel’s practice.

Liberate Pelvic Health specializes in helping individuals manage and overcome a variety of bowel-related concerns. Whether you're dealing with chronic discomfort, irregularity, or other GI issues, we are here to help you regain control and improve your quality of life.

Liberate Pelvic Health offers expert care with a compassionate touch by marrying specialized training, professional experience, evidence-based methods, and commitment to patient success. Reach out today to explore collaborating in your journey to better bowel health.

Bowel Treatment Options: What To Expect

During your consultation, you’ll be interviewed about your bowel function history, overall pelvic history and details about your symptoms.  You’ll also participate in postural and breath assessments to see how your overall system may be contributing to your dysfunction and collaborate to create a customized treatment plan. Throughout your plan of care, expect a combination of hands-on therapy, exercises and practical advice to meet you where you’re at and support progress towards your goals.  Trauma-informed care is very important at Liberate Pelvic Health, and therefore the manual pelvic exam isn’t automatically the first place we start.   Pelvic floor assessments and treatments can be an integral part of optimizing functional outcomes, however it isn’t the only avenue to achieving meaningful results.  Biofeedback, abdominal visceral manual therapy, and body awareness coaching are additional tools that can be incorporated if the client isn’t fully onboard with direct pelvic floor manual therapy. 

FAQs About Bowel Issues

Q: How do I know if my bowel issues are related to my pelvic floor?
A: If you experience symptoms like chronic constipation, incontinence, or difficulty with bowel movements, it may indicate pelvic floor involvement.  Dyssynergic Defecation refers to difficulty emptying your bowels and can feel like you can’t fully empty, straining or pushing hard but passing only small amounts of stool, needing to manually assist such as pressing on your perineum or using a finger to help remove stool, or stool gets "stuck" even when you feel the urge to go.  Pelvic Floor Dysfunction-Related  Chronic Constipation can look like ongoing constipation despite good hydration and fiber intake, Small, pellet-like stools, infrequent bowel movements (going more than 3 days at a time without a bowel movement), or feeling like your rectum is tight or that something is blocking stool from passing. Pain or Discomfort with Bowel Movements is another sign that pelvic floor impairments may be contributing to your dysfunction. Pelvic pain, rectal pain, or tailbone pain before, during, or after bowel movements, feeling of pressure or heaviness in the rectum, or pain that worsens with straining or prolonged sitting are all signs that you may be a good candidate to explore pelvic floor therapy. 

Q: Is pelvic floor therapy uncomfortable?
A: Our therapy is designed to be gentle and tailored to your comfort level. We ensure a supportive, understanding environment throughout your care.

Q: How long will bowel treatment take?
A: The duration depends on your specific condition and goals, but most patients see improvement within a few sessions.