Going to the bathroom shouldn’t regularly hurt. If you experience sharp pain, pressure, burning, cramping, or discomfort when having a bowel movement, it can be easy to assume constipation is the only possible explanation. But painful bowel movements can happen for several reasons—including problems with how your pelvic floor muscles are working. Your pelvic floor plays an important role in bowel movements. These muscles need to coordinate with your abdominal muscles and actu

If your child is having stool accidents, especially if they’re older than potty training age, it can feel confusing, frustrating, and honestly… a little overwhelming. You might be wondering: “Why is this still happening?” “Are they doing this on purpose?” “How do I even fix this?” If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Encopresis (also called stool leakage or fecal incontinence) is more common than most families realize. And despite how it may look from the outside, these

We all know that stress, diet, fluid intake, and activity can influence our bowels, but what about the pelvic floor muscles? Pelvic floor physical therapy (also known as PFPT) is a specialized branch of physical therapy that targets the muscles, organs, and joints of the pelvic area. There are many structures in the neighborhood, including the bladder, reproductive organs, and the rectum, and they all interact with each other more than you might think! By addressing dysfunct