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This is known as a lower motor neuron, flaccid or areflexic bowel. It can be managed by causing the defecation reflex to occur at a socially appropriate time and place.Ī spinal cord injury below the T-12 level may damage the defecation reflex and relax the anal sphincter muscle. This type of bowel problem is called an upper motor neuron or reflexic bowel. This means that when the rectum is full, the defecation reflex will occur, emptying the bowel. The anal sphincter muscle remains tight, however, and bowel movements will occur on a reflex basis. If the spinal cord injury is above the T-12 level, the ability to feel when the rectum is full may be lost. With a spinal cord injury, damage can occur to the nerves that allow a person to control bowel movements. The bowel is where the waste products of eating are stored until they are emptied from the body in the form of a bowel movement (stool, feces).Ī bowel movement happens when the rectum (last portion of the bowel) becomes full of stool and the muscle around the anus (anal sphincter) opens (see diagram below). The function of the digestive system is to take food into the body and to get rid of waste. The digestive tract as a whole is a hollow tube that extends from the mouth to the anus (see illustration at right). The bowel is the last portion of your digestive tract and is sometimes called the large intestine or colon. What Factors Can Affect the Success of the Bowel Program?.What Methods Can Be Used For Emptying the Bowel?.Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) & Maintaining Healthy Bowels
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