Bowel Health

Bowel Health

Bowel problems can affect individuals of all ages - but are often difficult and embarrassing to talk about. We can help so come and talk to us.


What is normal bowel function?

Healthy bowel habits mean that you empty your bowels anywhere from 3 times a day to 3 times a week. Generally, you have well-formed soft and easily passed stools

Your stool diameter is around a 50c piece and length from 8-13 cm!!!

You can empty your bowel within 5 minutes and you do not need to strain

This is normal regular bowel function

Whilst lifestyle often affects the above schedule if you are consistently outside the above routine maybe you need to come in and chat to us about your bowel function?


Signs and Symptoms?

  • Do you find yourself straining on the toilet or not feeling completely empty after doing a poo?’
  • Do you find yourself not emptying your bowels regularly, and feeling sluggish, bloated or constipated?
  • Do you frequently have an urgent feeling to poo or struggle to hold on to your wind or poo?
  • Do you ever accidentally leak out poo or find that you have a poo accident on an urge?
  • Do you have a fear of public toilets causing you to resist the urge to go?


Common Causes of Bowel problems?

  • Constipation – longer term
  • Pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding 
  • Thyroid and other hormonal imbalances can affect how the bowel works
  • Irritable bowel syndrome  (IBS)
  • Inflammatory bowel diseases such as Chron’s and Colitis


Fluid intake and diet are common contributors to bowel issues as well as how you sit on the toilet. Your bowel is an incredible organ that can be trained to become very regular with practice and just sitting more regularly on the toilet at certain times of the day.

How can we help?


Physiotherapy for bowel problems?

Our goal for managing your bowel problem is to address why your problem is occurring and work with you to improve your condition. This may include:

  • Managing constipation
  • Bowel retraining
  • Teaching you how to poo correctly
  • Strengthening your pelvic floor muscles so you can hold long enough to reach the toilet in time
  • Helping you relax tight pelvic floor muscles which might be limiting your bowel emptying
  • Urge delay retraining of your bowels 

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