Constipation Explained

At least 1 in 6 people will suffer from constipation in their lifetime.

For some, this may be a minor inconvenience while for others it will severely impact their lives (no pun intended).

Let’s start off with what is normal: 💩 Having a bowel movement (BM) at least 3x/week to 3x/day A bowel movement that takes less than 10 minutes to complete with minimal to no straining required Consistency that is either firm with some cracks, smooth sausage-like, or soft blobs.

So what is constipation? 🥵 It’s a condition (not a disease) where bowel movements are either: -Difficult to pass (think lots of straining) -Infrequent (less than 3x/week), or -Don’t fully feel empty

Who can experience constipation? Anyone! Typically affects women more than men. Unfortunately becomes more common as we age, but infants and children can also be constipated.

What can impact constipation? Constipation is usually multifactorial. Meaning, it may not be just one thing causing your pooping struggles. Some factors that may affect your BMs include: -Poor diet like as one that is highly processed or low in fiber -Medications including pain medications, antacids, or antidepressants -A sedentary lifestyle -Traveling (see our Clinic IG pages for tips for constipation management while traveling) or lack of a consistent schedule -Pregnancy -Other conditions such as hypothyroidism, diabetes, or neurologic disorders can cause a sluggish response of the GI tract.

Anything else that can cause constipation? Yes! 😱 What kind of pelvic floor specialists would we be if we didn’t mention the pelvic floor when talking about constipation?! 😉

How does the pelvic floor affect constipation? I’m glad you asked! Sometimes, the pelvic floor can be tight and have a hard time relaxing. Sometimes the pelvic floor can be uncoordinated and contract when it actually needs to relax. Sometimes there is a structural change in your anatomy that may be getting in the way such as a prolapsed organ. Sometimes there is pain that makes you not want to poop, so then you defer that urge to poop that you get and then the poop gets harder and larger, making it more painful and difficult to empty. 🖐️If any of these sound like you, give us a call or contact us at Chicago Pelvic Health.