Treatments
There are various treatments available to people who have bowel control problems. Your healthcare adviser will assess your condition with you and help you decide what treatment and management options are right for you
Each type of incontinence requires specific treatment approaches. Your healthcare advisor will assess your condition and help you decide what treatment and management options are right for you.
Diet and exercise
Some people find that their diet has an effect on their toilet habits. Getting advice from a dietitian on what might to affect your bowel can be helpful.
If you have muscle weakness, exercises will be recommended by your healthcare team. These will strengthen your pelvic floor muscles and your anal sphincter muscles.
It’s quite common for people to be unaware of the muscles of the pelvic floor. There are a variety of methods to help you raise your sensitivity to these muscles, such as mild electrical stimulation.
Biofeedback
Biofeedback is a technique used when exercising that measures your muscle contractions as you do them.
Mild electrical stimulation is sometimes used to complement and enhance these exercises.
Behavioural therapy
You might also benefit from behavioural therapy, which can mean adapting to a particular regimen to help you attain predictability in your bowel habits.
Medicines
Medicines can help relieve some symptoms and increase muscle tone. They might be recommended to you to complement your other treatment options.
Nerves
Electrical stimulation of the nerves that pass through the lower back can help control muscle reactions, reflexes and sensations. It is called sacral neuromodulation. It is also effective for dual incontinence.
Surgery
Surgical options are available to those who need them. For instance, those people who have tried other therapies that haven't worked or are poorly tolerated.
Surgery can also fix or alleviate muscular damage or slippages in the structures or organs in your pelvic and bladder area. Your doctor will tell you about surgery if you need it.
Continence aids
There are many continence products available. Designs and materials as well as product choice and performance have improved in recent years. These products aid skin care, leakage management and other aspects of continence care.
Internal links
External links
- Continence Foundation: Symptoms and treatments
- Incontact. Bi-monthly treatment review
- NHS Direct. Treatments for urinary incontinence
- NHS. Northern Ireland
- NHS 24 Scotland: Body key (self help guide)
- NHS Direct Wales
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It's quite common for people to be unaware of the muscles of the pelvic floor