What is the Bowel Management Program?
You have been referred for Biofeedback therapy / Bowel management program because your doctor feels that this may help your bowel symptoms. It is a conservative treatment for your bowel symptoms.
It is a bowel and muscle management treatment to help you improve your bowel control and function, and so improve your symptoms. It focuses on bowel emptying, muscle control and addressing all areas of gut function.
There are no risks and no side effects.
No preparation is required for this treatment. You will not be given any sedation or medication during the consultation.
You do not need to be accompanied for this hospital appointment. You will be able to travel home and continue with your normal activities afterwards. Females do not need to worry if they are having their period, this will not affect the treatment.
You will not be asked to sign a consent form to undergo this treatment. The treatment will be explained to you fully when you come to the department, and you will have the chance to ask any questions that you might have. Please do not hesitate to ask questions or voice any worries.
You will see a Clinical Nurse Specialist. Your first consultation will involve a detailed assessment of your bowel symptoms, general health, diet, any medications that you may be taking, and other factors that may influence your bowel function. Using this information and the results of any investigations you may have had, the Nurse Specialist will discuss the likely causes of your problems and plan a treatment program for you to work on together.
The treatment involves providing education and advice on dietetic interventions that can help your bowels work better. In addition, teaching you how to retrain the muscles used to empty and control your bowels. Part of your appointment will involve you lying on a couch, with a blanket to cover you. Your Nurse Specialist will insert a very small balloon just inside your back passage. The balloon insertion should not be painful unless you are already sore in that region. The Nurse Specialist will assess how you use your muscles when you try to defecate and hopefully teach you how to use them more effectively. This will only take a few minutes. It is not a compulsory part of the appointment, but it can provide helpful information and helps patients to understand which muscles to use better.
The appointment lasts approximately 45 minutes. Most patients have one or two further appointments or telephone consultations with the same Nurse Specialist at approximately one- or two-month intervals. It may take several months before you feel an improvement in your symptoms. You will be recommended to practice the exercise s regularly at home to improve your symptoms.
At the end of your course of treatment, a letter will be written by your Nurse Specialist to your referring Consultant. A copy will be sent to your GP and to you.
If your symptoms do not improve, alternative treatments and management of your symptoms can be discussed with your Nurse Specialist and / or referring doctor.
This page tells you about the bowel management program but if you have read the leaflet and have any queries please contact the GI Physiology Unit.
Address: GI Physiology Unit, Lower Ground Floor, EGA Wing, University College Hospital, 25 Grafton Way, London, WC1E 6DB
Telephone: 020 3447 9130 (Monday to Friday 09:00 to 17:00)
Switchboard: 0203 456 7890 / 08451 555 000
Email: UCLH.
The GI Physiology Unit is on the lower ground floor of the EGA wing.
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Page last updated: 11 September 2025
Review due: 01 September 2027