Many people don’t realise that bowel issues such as constipation, straining, haemorrhoids, anal fissures and lack of control over wind or stools can be due to or related to existing pelvic floor issues.
Your bowels, bladder, and pelvic floor are intimately related in anatomy, location, and function, and each can influence any of the others. We find that many patients with bowel, bladder, or pelvic floor problems will often have an issue with one or more of the others.
Did you know that pelvic floor physiotherapy can help to treat and manage bowel concerns? Here are our top three favourite tips for improving your bowel health.
1. Don’t delay – go when you get the urge
Often clients come in saying they will wait until they get home from work or until they have access to their own toilet. There is actually a ‘golden window’ of 10-15 minutes within getting the urge. If you go within this time you are working with the natural rhythm of the body, and it will make it much easier to open your bowels during this time. Repeatedly forcing your body to wait to empty your bowels can make it harder to go and can cause you to strain which is something we definitely want to avoid.
2. Have a look at your stools!
Another common thing we hear clients saying is that they don’t know what their stools look like or don’t want to check. The shape and appearance of your stools is a great indication of your bowel health. Your stools should be formed and smooth like a sausage or snake, and not hard and small like pebbles, or too soft and liquid in consistency. Smooth but formed is best as it is easiest to pass. The Bristol Stool Scale is a medical diagnostic tool to describe stool consistency, and by using this chart we can describe our optimal consistency as a type 3 to 4.
3. Sit in the right position (every single time you open your bowels!)
Using the right position and mechanics when opening your bowels will change your life (we’re not exaggerating!). Some of you may have already guessed, but it’s actually very similar to a “squat” position! The key points are:
- Knees higher and slightly wider than hips – you can invest in a Squatty Potty, or simply use two individually wrapped toilet rolls, yoga blocks or footstools to raise the knees.
- Brace your forearms on your thighs
- Lean forward, stick your bottom out and chest forward
- Allow your abdomen to relax – think that you’ve just swallowed a beach ball
- Think of relaxing around the anus and pelvic floor and keeping your abdomen relaxed. You can then do a gentle “pressing down” through the anus
Using this position optimises the angle of the rectum and helps the pelvic floor relax, giving your stools an easy passageway out. If nothing happens in 5 minutes, go away and come back when you get the urge again.
If you are having any trouble with your bowels or suffering from issues such as constipation, haemorrhoids or fissures, difficulty controlling your bowels, or having anal pain, reach out to us. Our physiotherapists specialise in and love everything bowel-related, and are here to help.
Written by Tusanee Jierasak
