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» Home » General Info » SCI Manual » Bowels

Bowels

The bowel is affected when the nerve path is broken, as well as by loss of activity. You may have lost the sensation of having a bowel movement, and you probably cannot tighten your muscles to stop one happening. You may get constipated because you aren't active. We will help you to control your bowel in the Bowel Program section.

You will hear a lot about drinking plenty of fluids to keep well. One of the main reasons is to prevent constipation. We will help you learn which kinds of food and fluids are best for bowel health in the Nutrition section.

This section will help you understand the bowel program that has been developed for you. Following is an illustration of the gastrointestinal tract and a brief discussion of the normal digestion and bowel movement processes.

» BOWEL MOVEMENTS/BOWEL PROGRAM IN SCI

Published 06/4/2006 | Bowels | Rating:

After a spinal cord injury, messages from the rectum do not get through to the brain and you do not get the urge to have a bowel movement. As a result of not feeling the urge, you may not be able to control the sphincter that makes your bowel move. Not being able to control the sphincter can result in an inability to have a bowel movement. This can cause your stool to be "impacted" and the solid waste, which is normally eliminated from the body, to be retained. Impaction can be serious if it occurs high up in the bowel.

» GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT AND NORMAL BOWEL MOVEMENT

Published 06/4/2006 | Bowels | Rating:

When you swallow food, food goes into the stomach where there are enzymes. Enzymes are chemicals that act on the food and speed up the digestion process.

After passing out of the stomach, food first goes through the small intestine, and then to the large intestine which is also called the "bowel". In the intestines, nutrients and liquids produced during the digestion process are taken up, or absorbed, by the body. The remaining solid waste, or stool, is left in the bowel.

The rectum is empty until the stool is ready to be evacuated. This is when your rectum sends a message to your brain and you get the urge to have a bowel movement.