Serving San Jose & Bay Area

Bowel and Rectal Dysfunction Treatment

Pelvic Floor Therapy for Constipation, Fecal Incontinence, and Bowel Dysfunction

Bowel symptoms are rarely talked about but incredibly common.

Straining with bowel movements. Feeling like you can’t feeling empty. Unexpected leakage or urgency. Pain or pressure in the rectum. These symptoms quietly affect daily life, travel, exercise intimacy and confidence.

At Optimize Pelvic Health, we specialize in pelvic floor physical therapy for rectal and bowel dysfunction using a whole body approach not only looking at the pelvic floor but the stress nervous system, organ considerations and movement patterns.

This level of assessment allows us to identify why bowel symptoms are happening, not just managing them.

Bowel Symptoms That We Treat

Many people assumed bowel issues are “just digestion” , but the pelvic floor plays a critical role in controlling bowel movements

We commonly treat:

Constipation or difficulty passing stool
Fecal incontinence (leakage of stool)
Incomplete bowel emptying
Pain with bowel movement
Rectal pressure or heaviness
Abdominal dyssynergia
Bowel issues related to pelvic organ prolapse

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A Different Approach to Pelvic Floor Therapy

At Optimize Pelvic Health, bowel dysfunction is not treated as an isolated pelvic floor problem.

Our pelvic floor specialists evaluate the entire system impacting bowel function:

Nervous system influences
Mobility of the abdominal and pelvic organs
Abdominal pressure mechanics
Hip and spinal movement patterns
Pelvic muscle coordination

The pelvic floor is the only group of muscles that have direct nervous system input from the stress nerves. When your nervous system is under constant stress, the pelvic floor muscles tighten or guard. Additionally when the organs are in under tension, the surrounding muscles including the pelvic floor, can become restricted, including bowel function.

This is why many patients have tried traditional pelvic floor therapy without lasting improvement.

Rectal Balloon Training

For patients experiencing fecal incontinence or reduced rectal sensation, our clinic offers rectal balloon training, a highly specialized therapy that is not widely available in the Bay Area.

Rectal balloon training helps retrain the communication between the rectum, pelvic floor muscles, and the brain.

This therapy can improve:

Awareness of rectal filling
Ability to delay bowel filling
Coordination of pelvic floor muscles
Control of bowel movements

During your evaluation, we determine if rectal balloon training is right for you.

Schedule an Evaluation

If you are experiencing constipation, fecal leakage, fecal urgency, or difficulty emptying your bowels, a pelvic floor physical therapist can help determine the underlying cause of your issues.

Schedule an appointment with Optimize Pelvic Health.