What is Fecal Incontinence?
This condition can feel overwhelming and embarrassing, but it’s actually more common than most people think. It affects people of all ages, though it tends to show up more as we get older or after certain life events like childbirth, surgeries, or injuries. It can also occur when the muscles of the pelvic floor become weak or damaged.
Symptoms of Fecal Incontinence Can Include:
- Leaking stool, especially when passing gas
- Feeling a sudden, urgent need to use the bathroom
- Difficulty making it to the toilet in time
- Unexpected accidents without feeling the urge
- Frequent constipation followed by loose stools or leakage
- A constant feeling of needing to empty your bowels
- Skin irritation or soreness around the anus from leakage
- Avoiding social activities out of fear of accidents
How Pelvic Floor Dysfunction Can Contribute to Fecal Incontinence
Sometimes the muscles don’t relax when they should, causing constipation or incomplete emptying. Other times, the muscles aren’t strong enough to hold everything in, leading to leaks. Injury, surgery, childbirth, aging, or even long-term straining from constipation can all impact how your pelvic floor works.
Pelvic floor dysfunction doesn’t just cause fecal incontinence—it keeps you stuck in a cycle of discomfort and anxiety. The good news is that pelvic floor physical therapy can help break that cycle.
Treatment for Fecal Incontinence
We might work on exercises that strengthen weak muscles or help you better coordinate your pelvic floor during bowel movements. Manual therapy helps release tight muscles or scar tissue that could be making things worse. Breathing techniques, posture work, and relaxation exercises often play a part too.
The goal of pelvic floor physical therapy is to help you feel more in control—whether that means fewer accidents, less urgency, or simply being able to leave the house without worrying about where the closest bathroom is.
What to Expect During Your Sessions
During Your Initial Appointment
Next comes a thorough physical assessment. We’ll look at your posture, breathing, core muscles, and pelvic floor. This hands-on evaluation helps us figure out what’s contributing to your bowel incontinence. In most cases, we’ll recommend checking your pelvic floor muscles internally since that’s the best way to understand what’s happening. We always explain everything first. You can decline any part of the exam or treatment at any time, no questions asked.
During Your Additional Appointments
We’ll teach you how to strengthen and coordinate your pelvic floor muscles, work on improving bowel habits, and help you feel confident doing the things you’ve been avoiding. The goal is progress—feeling better, having fewer symptoms, and getting back to living your life without always planning around a bathroom.
Client Testimonials
Beyond Basics: We Can Help
Since 2003, Beyond Basics has been a place of hope and healing for our patients. We believe skilled and compassionate healing can restore your body’s harmony and balance. Founder, Amy Stein, and co-founder, Corey Hazama are renowned experts and leaders in pelvic floor PT.
The skilled physical therapists at Beyond Basics receive extensive training to qualify them to be the world’s leaders in pelvic floor rehabilitation. All of our therapists have been carefully selected to work at Beyond Basics because they possess the right expertise, kindness, and empathy to allow them to excel at our practice. Our therapists have completed hundreds of additional hours outside of their doctorates both internally and externally through institutes such as Herman and Wallace and the American Physical Therapy Association, to help hone their practice and provide exceptional treatment efficiently and compassionately. In addition to being the world’s first and foremost experts in pelvic floor dysfunction, our individual therapists have cultivated additional skills unique to their own personal interests. Read more about each one of our therapists here.
Get help now from a pelvic floor therapist for fecal incontinence.
Fecal Incontinence
— Beyond Basics PT | Pelvic Floor Therapy NYC.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does pelvic floor dysfunction cause fecal incontinence?
What role do the anal sphincter muscles play in bowel control?
Can pelvic floor therapy help if I’ve had rectal surgery?
What’s passive incontinence, and is it related to pelvic floor problems?
Does chronic constipation make pelvic floor issues worse?
Who should I see to get a proper diagnosis?
How often should I attend pelvic floor physical therapy sessions?
How long does it take to see improvements from pelvic floor physical therapy?
How do I know if PT is helping?
Are there any at-home exercises I can do to complement my pelvic floor physical therapy?
What insurance providers do you work with?
We accept Cigna, United Healthcare, and Aetna, and Oxford insurance out-of-network plans. Our billing staff will submit claims on your behalf.
You can also make convenient monthly payments with various finance options with Care Credit. We offer our patients special interest-free financing of 6, 12, or 18 months. We also offer discounted package rates through Care Credit.
If you have any questions about insurance coverage or financing, call our billing office: 212.354.2622, text us at: 212.354.2622 or email [email protected]
Is pelvic floor physical therapy covered by insurance?
At Beyond Basics, we are out of network with most insurance providers. This allows us to offer better care, including full-hour, one-on-one sessions without passing you off to aides. We create a treatment plan based on your specific needs rather than the limitations set by insurance plans, and we focus on functional goals that truly improve your life.
We accept out-of-network plans from Cigna, United Healthcare, Aetna, and Oxford. Our internal billing staff will work with you to submit claims on your behalf and walk you through your options. You can also make convenient monthly payments with various finance options through Care Credit, offering special interest-free financing of 6, 12, or 18 months, as well as discounted package rates.
If you have any questions about insurance coverage or financing, call our billing office at 212.354.2622, text us at 212.354.2622, or email [email protected].
What if I live out of town?
It can be hard to find highly-skilled, pelvic floor PT specialists. As a result, we often see patients who live out of town. We work with you in advance to make the most of your travel. We start with a two-hour initial evaluation and schedule daily follow up sessions that last at least 90 minutes during the remainder of your stay.
We encourage you to continue treatment with a local pelvic floor PT when you go home. If you can’t find someone near you, we recommend returning to us every month or couple of months for in-person visits.
We also offer telehealth – one-on-one video sessions completed over an online platform during which a PT guides you through treatments, progresses your exercise, and gives you support. This is another option to ensure that you progress at home when traveling isn’t an option. Click here to find out more about telehealth and to schedule an appointment.
Either way, we’ll give you as many tools as possible to continue your journey of healing at home.
