What is pelvic floor muscle dysfunction?
The pelvic floor muscles play an important role in the process of having a bowel movement. The muscles of the pelvis must relax and contract in a coordinated fashion to eliminate stool. People with pelvic floor dysfunction often report the need to strain or assume different positions in order to achieve a bowel movement. Some patients may also need to manually remove stool or actually splint the rectum in order to eliminate stool. Anal rectal manometry and defecography are important tools in the diagnosis of pelvic floor dysfunction. Anal rectal manometry involves inserting a balloon in the rectum that measures pressure in the muscles at rest and during a squeeze. Defecography is performed by inserting x-ray paste into the rectum and taking a series of x-rays while the patient is going through the act of having a bowel movement on a specially designed toilet or commode. This gives import information about the function of the muscles in the pelvis. The best treatment available for pelvi
