PATIENT PRESENTATION MARKER

Feeling of blockage

What this marker measures

The degree to which the patient reported a feeling of blockage when passing a bowel motion in the last 3 months.

Health categories/Interpretations informed by this marker

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Clinical features
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‍● Lower GI symptoms: a feeling of blockage is a commonly-reported lower gastrointestinal symptom that can affect quality of life.
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Interpreting the result

PRESENT

Questionnaire responses indicate a sense of blockage or obstruction when passing a bowel motion more than 25% of the time.

PARTIALLY PRESENT

Questionnaire responses indicate a sense of blockage or obstruction when passing a bowel motion 25% of the time or less.

NOT PRESENT

Questionnaire responses indicate no sense of blockage or obstruction when passing a bowel motion in the past 3 months.

Patient management insights

CLINICAL MANAGEMENT

Consider pelvic floor physiotherapy: biofeedback-assisted pelvic floor physiotherapy may increase stool frequency, reduce frequency of abdominal pain, and reduce the feeling of blockage in patients with chronic constipation and dyssynergic defecation/pelvic floor dyssynergia.^1,2
GRADE C

Tips for patients discussion

"Your questionnaire responses show that it sometimes feels as though something is blocking your bowel motions. This is more common than many people realise, and it can be a sign that the muscles involved aren't working together as well as they could. A pelvic floor physiotherapist can help retrain these muscles, and we'll look at your other results to see what else might help."

Source references for all clinical associations, interpretation definitions, and patient management insights on this card.

1. Chiarioni, G., Whitehead, W. E., Pezza, V., Morelli, A. & Bassotti, G. Biofeedback is superior to laxatives for normal transit constipation due to pelvic floor dyssynergia. Gastroenterology 130, 657–664 (2006).
2. Rao, S. S. C. et al. Randomized controlled trial of biofeedback, sham feedback, and standard therapy for dyssynergic defecation. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 5, 331–338 (2007).