Digestive Health Irritable Bowel Syndrome Print Digital Disimpaction and How It's Done Relief for Constipation By Barbara Bolen, PhD twitter Barbara Bolen, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and health coach. She has written multiple books focused on living with irritable bowel syndrome. Learn about our editorial process Barbara Bolen, PhD Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Robert Burakoff, MD, MPH on January 23, 2020 linkedin Robert Burakoff, MD, MPH, is board-certified in gastroentrology. He is the vice chair for ambulatory services for the department of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York, where he is also a professor. He was the founding editor and co-editor in chief of the national and international peer-review journal Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. Learn about our Medical Review Board Robert Burakoff, MD, MPH on January 23, 2020 Matt Lincoln / Getty Images More in Irritable Bowel Syndrome Causes & Diagnosis Living With Nutrition Symptoms Treatment Support & Coping IBS With Constipation IBS With Diarrhea Related Conditions View All Digital disimpaction is the use of fingers to aid in the removal of stool from the rectum. This may be done by a person who is experiencing constipation or by a medical professional who is assisting a person with a spinal cord injury or another health problem that results in a problem with defecation. A particular form of digital evacuation in women is called vaginal splinting. This is when a woman massages the inside of her vagina in order to encourage the passage of stool from her rectum. Related behaviors to digital evacuation include massaging the inside of the rectum, or for women, the perineum, in order to stimulate a bowel movement. Disimpaction is a treatment for fecal impaction, which can occur with some frequency in people who are pregnant, ill, or in a nursing home. Other Names for Digital Disimpaction Digital disimpaction may also be called:Digital removal of feces (DRF)Disimpacting stool with digital maneuversDigital evacuationManual disimpactionManual elimination Dyssynergic Defecation and Digital Evacuation People who experience chronic constipation due to a condition known as dyssynergic defecation appear to be most likely to engage in digital evacuation. In this condition, the nerves and muscles of the pelvic floor do not work together smoothly so as to produce a comfortable, normal bowel movement. Dyssynergic defecation is considered to be a type of pelvic floor dysfunction. Biofeedback or physical therapy may be recommended as a way to address the symptoms of dyssynergic defecation. Overview of Dyssyndergic Defecation Do You Need to Bring This to the Attention of Your Doctor? It is not recommended that you use digital evacuation on a regular basis for evacuating stool. You run the risk of injury or of further contributing to any existing defecation dysfunction. You should tell your doctor about your need to use digital evacuation in order to eliminate stool. Your doctor can do an assessment to figure out why your bowel movements are not occurring as they should. Your doctor will want to make sure that there is no disease process, structural defect, or obstruction causing the problem. If your doctor diagnoses you with dyssynergic defecation, they will work with you to help you to develop a proper treatment plan. Manual Disimpaction and Spinal Cord Injuries People who have spinal cord injuries may need manual disimpaction as part of their bowel management. In this procedure, a single finger of a gloved hand is lubricated and inserted into the rectum of the patient. The stool is gently broken up and pieces are removed until the rectum is empty. This procedure is considered safe when conducted by a trained health professional. Manual disimpaction is considered to be a widely used procedure as part of the care of people who have spinal cord injuries. In these cases, manual disimpaction appears to reduce the possibility of fecal soiling. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! One of the most challenging aspects of having IBS is trying to figure out what's safe to eat. Our recipe guide makes it easier. Sign up and get yours now! Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Abbott R, Ayres I, Hui E, Hui KK. Effect of perineal self-acupressure on constipation: a randomized controlled trial. J Gen Intern Med. 2015;30(4):434-9. doi:10.1007/s11606-014-3084-6 Pourmomeny AA, Emami MH, Amooshahi M, Adibi P. Comparing the efficacy of biofeedback and balloon-assisted training in the treatment of dyssynergic defecation. Can J Gastroenterol. 2011;25(2):89-92. doi:10.1155/2011/268062 Rao SS. Advances in diagnostic assessment of fecal incontinence and dyssynergic defecation. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2010;8(11):910-9. doi:10.1016/j.cgh.2010.06.004 Solomons J, Woodward S. Digital removal of faeces in the bowel management of patients with spinal cord injury: a review. British Journal of Neuroscience Nursing. 2013;9(5):216-222. doi:10.12968/bjnn.2013.9.5.216 Additional Reading "Manual Evacuation of Faeces" Spinal Cord Injury Research Evidence Website Araghizadeh, F. "Constipation and Functional Bowel Disease" Clinics in Colon and Rectal Surgery 2005 18:116-119.