Restoring Your Balance, LLC
Brandi Robertson, MSPT
Bowel Dysfunction
Bowel Dysfunction
Women’s health physical therapy can provide conservative and effective treatment for many bowel dysfunctions including the following:
- constipation
- diarrhea
- fecal or gas incontinence
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- pelvic organ prolapse particularly rectocele (prolapse of bowel)
- difficulty emptying bowels
- anal fissures
- hemorrhoid pain
Are you “just dealing with” or afraid to talk to your spouse, girlfriend or Doctor about any of the following ......?
“I go between being constipated and then having diarrhea, I am never just regular, but this is normal for me.”
Also known as Irritable Bowel Syndrome
“I can’t control my bowel movements, I have to wear a pad for cleanliness, and fear having an accident in public.”
Also known as Fecal Incontinence
These symptoms affect willingness to go in public, fear of being unclean, what foods you can eat, and can also be expensive if you are wearing pads everyday!
Some Facts:
- "IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) affects about 10-20% of the general population and is one of the most common disorders seen by primary care physicians." —The International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders
- The prevalence of anal incontinence is 2 - 24% while the range for fecal incontinence is 0.4 - 18%.
- 6.5 Million Americans suffer from fecal incontinence.
Treatment Options
Success Stories...
"I am 45 years old and, since the birth of my 2nd child in 1993, have been experiencing progressively worsening bouts of incontinence. By the time I turned 39 years old; I was diagnosed bladder and fecal incontinent. I turned to surgery in hopes of finding some relief. I had my uterus yanked, my bladder hoisted, my rectum rebuilt and my “o” ring tightened up. After three surgeries, my colon rectal surgeon told me that I just needed to 'live with it' because there was nothing else he could do, short of a rectal implant.
'Living with it' meant having anywhere from 8 to 15 bowel movements, on a good day, wearing a pad 24/7, and reducing my activity level so that I didn’t have an accident. No more walks on the beach, no more canoeing, no camping, no skiing, and no bike riding, not to mention my lost sense of sexuality. It’s pretty hard to feel sexy when you are worried about how you smell or being dirty or, worse yet, having an accident. I was literally tethered to a bathroom until last spring, when I started Physical Therapy with Brandi Robertson.
What I encountered in Brandi was someone who listened to my reality and understood my symptoms. Most importantly, she listened with empathy and did not tell me to 'live with it' but offered me options. Having someone tell me that I had options filled me with a tremendous sense of hope. My physical therapy has been FANTASTIC. I started seeing results in a very short period of time and have only had to wear a pad intermittently since March – which, by the way, was one of my goals. I can’t even begin to express how it feels to start getting my life back.
On a personal note, Brandi, you have been an invaluable resource to me and would be for anyone in my situation. Your work offers hope for the hopeless and provides a voice for the secret of incontinence. Thank you for what you do."
—Renee, Restaurant Owner, Marketer
Patient Forms
