Bowel and bladder dysfunction

Pelvic health physiotherapist treat more than just the pelvic floor. We are trained to treat dysfunction of the bowel and bladder, and because these organs share a space in the pelvis, along with a shared supply of nerves, we often find dysfunction in one organ results in disruption to the other. For example it is very common to find that people with chronic constipation or issues emptying their bowels will also experience bladder frequency and urgency issues. Constipation is a common finding in the general population, and as well as encouraging a healthy diet and adequate fluid intake we can also teach you the correct way to sit on the toilet to encourage relaxation of the pelvic floor muscles.

In addition to treating issues with bowel emptying, we also treat Faecal Incontinence. This includes the inability to hold onto flatus. Although this is a topic people try to hide away from, there is help available so please reach out.

A major focus area for me is aiding those suffering with endometriosis in managing the often very variable bowel habits ranging from constipation and pain with opening bowels, to diarrhoea. Thankfully we now have a much greater awareness of ways to help manage these symptoms using a varied and holistic approach. Pain with bowel opening in this case is often due to pelvic floor muscle spasms, which we can treat with a variety of methods.