Bowel Accidents (Faecal Incontinence)
Bowel accidents (faecal incontinence) refer to the involuntary loss of faeces (poo) or wind. This loss can vary – you might accidentally fart or smear your underwear. Or perhaps you completely lose control of your bowel, making it difficult to leave home. It can be distressing stuff, but it’s vital to remember that you’re not alone. Faecal incontinence is common, occurring in 1 in 20 people – that’s more than 1.4 million Australians who have difficulty controlling their bowel. These issues can affect people at any age, but they’re more common among the elderly and those with certain medical conditions, like diabetes or neurological disorders.
Faecal incontinence is underreported and often not talked about. People can suffer silently, putting up with it for years, being too embarrassed to ask for help and thinking nothing can be done. Living with this condition can impact almost all aspects of your life – like exercise, social activities, intimacy and work. You might worry about being smelly, always needing pads or changing clothes frequently. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
Don't suffer in silence.
There’s no need to keep suffering in silence. Many people with faecal incontinence issues see real improvement with the right support – and that’s precisely what we offer. Our experienced postgraduate-qualified pelvic health physiotherapists at Pelvic Health Matters are here to guide you with care and expertise, every step of the way.
More than 1.4 million Aussies have difficulty controlling their bowel, yet most are too embarrassed to do anything about it. But the good news is that our postgraduate-qualified pelvic health physiotherapists can help treat this issue.
Common signs & symptoms of bowel accidents (faecal incontinence)
If you suffer from bowel accidents, you’re probably familiar with some of the following:
- Discovering a ‘skid mark’ on your underwear
- Faecal soiling with activity
- Bowel accidents on the way to the toilet
- Accidentally passing wind in company
- Feeling worried that you smell
- Wearing a liner or pad for protection
- Avoiding exercise, socialising or doing things you enjoy
- Always carrying a change of undies and wipes, just in case.
Types of bowel accidents
The two main types of faecal incontinence are urge incontinence and passive incontinence. Each type is characterised by different symptoms and causes.
Urge faecal incontinence
This occurs when an individual experiences a sudden, intense urge to defecate (poo) but is unable to reach the toilet in time. This leads to involuntary accidents. It can be triggered by various factors, including gastrointestinal conditions, infections or neurological disorders that affect bowel control.
Passive faecal incontinence
This also involves the involuntary passing of stool, but the individual is unaware of it. It can happen during activities such as passing gas or even without any exertion at all. Passive incontinence is often associated with damage to the anal sphincter muscles or nerves, which can occur during childbirth, surgery or with other medical conditions.
Risk factors & causes of bowel accidents
- Pregnancy
- Childbirth especially perineal tear and episiotomy
- Loose stool
- Constipation
- Damage to the anal sphincter muscles
- Poor pelvic floor muscle control
- Poor bowel routine and toileting habits
- Altered rectal and anal sensation
- Diet
- Ageing
- Radiation therapy
- Neurological conditions, e.g. Parkinson’s Disease, MS or stroke.
- Inflammatory bowel disease, e.g. Crohn's disease
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Anxiety and stress
Our Proven Pathway to Treating Bowel Accidents
Discover what matters
You’re assessed as a whole person
Before we begin, it's essential that we understand you as a whole person. That's why your postgraduate qualified pelvic health physiotherapist will collect the following information:
- QUESTIONNAIRE: You’ll complete a pelvic health questionnaire online before your first visit. This helps us understand about your history, current health concerns and what matters to you.
- 1-on-1 CONSULTATION: Here, we’ll take the time to learn about you and your bowel accidents. We believe a holistic approach enables us to understand how your specific physical, emotional and lifestyle factors influence your pelvic health.
- THOROUGH ASSESSMENT: This includes a pelvic floor and abdominal muscle examination and a bowel diary to understand stool consistency and effectiveness of emptying and questionnaires to understand your thoughts, feelings and environment.
- CONNECTING THE DOTS: Now that we’ve discovered so much about you and your bowel accidents, we can explore how it all fits together. For example, you might learn how weak pelvic floor muscles or reduced sensation after childbirth (or with age) can make bowel control more challenging.
- SET GOALS: We’ll help you set meaningful pelvic health goals such as:
- Feel confident to leave the house
- Enjoy social events without smelling
- Not worry about where the nearest toilet is
- Walk with friends, even if I haven’t emptied my bowels
Restore what matters
You’ll have a personalised pelvic health plan.
This is where we roll up our sleeves and get to work. Together, we’ll choose the best research-proven treatment options for your lifestyle. With the support of your postgraduate qualified pelvic health physiotherapist, you’ll learn how your bowel works, what’s not working and how to improve your bowel control.
Next, we’ll start Pelvic Floor Muscle Training. You’ll learn new skills and connect with hidden muscles that you didn’t know you had. We'll give you an individualised program tailored to your needs, which may include biofeedback. And you’ll learn how to use your newfound skills when needed – especially on the way to the toilet.
We’ll also help improve the strength and endurance of your pelvic floor muscles. Together, we’ll look at your bowel diary and give you advice about your stool consistency and bowel habits. We may also introduce strategies to help calm the nervous system. Plus, we’ll give you excellent resources and tools to help you progress.
ABOUT YOUR APPOINTMENTS: Together, we’ll work out how often we should see each other. We’ll agree on what works best for you, your commitments and your finances.
Enjoy what matters
You’ll be living your best life.
The final step is helping you reach all the meaningful goals you set at the start of your journey. Along the way, you might even discover new possibilities you hadn’t imagined – like enjoying a meal out with friends or feeling confident enough to join a yoga class. You'll leave with the tools and confidence to manage bowel control in everyday life without needing ongoing appointments.
That said, life can be unpredictable – and sometimes you might need to come back for a little reset. You may have a nasty bug or a stressful time at work – or perhaps pregnancy has made bowel control even trickier. No matter what the reason, we’ll always be here to help you.
Read about Rita 72 yrs, Evelyn 54 yrs, Courtney 38 yrs, Pallav 46 yrs
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Pelvic Health Matters
New name.
Same exceptional care.
Formerly known as Women’s & Men’s Health Physiotherapy, our new name reflects both what we believe in and what we do. We have an unwavering belief that pelvic health matters for everyone, at every stage of life.
Same phone number: 03 8823 8300
New email: physio@pelvichealth.com.au