www.incontinentsupport.org

One technique that my physical therapist taught me is bowel massage. You will need instruction, because doing it improperly could actually make your incontinence worse. Done correctly, however, it has reduced my reliance on medications and enemas for bowel control.

Patrick,

Can you expound on that? I am not familiar with it.

--John

Oh my. I hope this will pass the censors here. You need at least a working knowledge of human anatomy. The small intestine empties into the colon deep in the pelvis, on the right side. From there it ascends and at the diaphragm it crosses the abdomen and descends on the left side of the abdomen. The analogy my therapist used is squeezing toothpaste. The goal is to maintain motility without bruising anything. When I have a blockage, I can feel it with my fingers as well as having a bellyache. Move your fingers in a circular motion, pressing lightly, in the direction of stool passage. Do not take this as gospel; get a qualified therapist to instruct you. Good luck.