A program of bowel retraining, Kegel exercises, or biofeedback therapy may be used by people to help improve their bowel movements.
Problems that benefit from bowel retraining may help include:
Fecal incontinence, which is the loss of bowel control, causing you to pass stool unexpectedly. This can range from sometimes leaking a small amount of stool and passing gas, to not being able to control bowel movements.
Severe constipation
These problems may be caused by brain and nerve problems (such as from multiple sclerosis), emtional problems, spinal cord damage, previous surgery, childbirth, overuse of laxatives.
The bowel program includes several steps to help you have regular bowel movements. Most people are able to have regular bowel movements within a few weeks. Some people will need to use laxatives along with bowel retraining. Your provider can tell you if you need to take these medicines and which ones are safe for you.
You will need a physical exam before you start a bowel training program. This will allow your provider to find the cause of the fecal incontinence. Disorders that can be corrected such as fecal impaction or infectious diarrhea can be treated at that time. The provider will use your history of bowel habits and lifestyle as a guide for setting new bowel movement patterns.