How physical therapy can help treat constipation

It's estimated that nearly 30% of Americans suffer from constipation.

"Estimated" is a key word because it is a condition that many people are embarrassed to talk about. In addition, it can often be difficult to diagnose because it is considered a symptom, rather than a condition.

Physical therapy has been shown as a positive treatment option for constipation. Typically, doctors will recommend that people change their diets or try stool softeners, which aren't always effective.

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What is constipation?

Constipation refers to when a person has a difficult time emptying the bowels, or in layman's terms, going poop. Many people commonly believe that constipation only refers to infrequency in going to the bathroom, but it can also refer to having a hard time going to bathroom as well as having hard stools.

As noted earlier, it often serves as one symptom to indicate a condition. It can indicate a number of conditions, including irritable bowel syndrome or nutritional deficiencies. However, constipation can be treated with physical therapy to ease the pain and discomfort.

So, how does physical therapy help treat constipation?

It depends on the patient, but there are different ways that physical therapy can be used to treat constipation. Physical therapists are able to use abdominal massage in the area to help with constipation. When combined with at-home exercises and massage techniques, it has been shown to help resolve constipation issues altogether.

In addition, a physical therapist can work with you to retrain your pelvic floor muscles. In fact, it's estimated that nearly 50% of patients who have chronic constipation have pelvic floor dysfunction.

Using biofeedback therapy, which uses electrodes to train patients to learn how to control physical processes, physical therapists can help strengthen your pelvic floor and improve the function of your bowel.

What can I expect when I visit a physical therapist?

When visiting a physical therapist to discuss constipation, it is helpful to bring a food diary to indicate what you've been eating and when. In addition, if you have a medical history that may be relevant to treatment in the area, that is also useful to bring.

At your visit, the physical therapist will conduct an evaluation and ask you questions related to your condition. Based on your answers and symptoms, your treatment plan is developed, which is reassessed over the course of your visits.

If you have chronic constipation, contact me to schedule your first appointment to conduct an evaluation.