One of the muscle groups within levator ani is the puborectalis. The muscles support these 3 openings, but if they are weakened or not in good condition they cannot support the openings effectively.Īn important part of the pelvic floor muscle regarding bowel control is the deepest layer called Levator Ani – which directly translated from Latin means ‘lift the anus’. There are 3 openings through the pelvic floor in women and 2 in men -the anus (back passage), the vagina in women (birth canal) and the urethra (bladder outlet). The pelvic floor muscles are layers of muscle stretched like a sheet from the pubic bone in the front, to the bottom of the backbone (coccyx). The external anal sphincter (EAS) is made of striated muscle (the same as the pelvic floor muscles) we do have voluntary control over the EAS – allowing us to hold on if we are aware of wind or diarrhoea. It works automatically to keep the anus closed until we are ready to have a bowel movement. The internal anal sphincter (IAS) is made of smooth muscle and we do not have voluntary control of this muscle. The internal and external sphincters form 2 concentric rings which run along the length of the anal canal. The anal canal is about 3 – 4cm long in women and sometimes slightly longer in men. In some neurological and spinal conditions the brain cannot tell whether the bowel is full of waste (faeces) or just wind. As the muscles relax, the anus opens and the rectum empties. When we need to go to the toilet, the brain tells the anal sphincter muscles, via the nerves, to relax. When the rectum is full, the nerves sense this fullness and then inform the brain whether this is due to gas or stool. The rectum and the upper portion of the anal canal are richly supplied with nerves. The rectum and anusĪfter food has travelled along the gut, it has become digested and the nutrients and fluids absorbed the waste is then expelled through the rectum and anus. The pelvic floor muscles, when well-toned, ensure the anus remains closed until it’s time to go to the toilet. Once the bowel has done its work and absorbed nutrients from food, the waste travels to the rectum which stretches, triggering a message to the brain to say that the bowel is full and needs to be emptied. The rectum can store waste but most of the time it’s empty. Key to this process are the hundreds maybe thousands of bacteria resident in the colon – both ‘good’ and ‘bad’ – which collectively make up the gut flora. The colon also absorbs some nutrients and water. The colon’s most important job is to store, process and get rid of waste. This muscular tube is made up of the ascending colon, the transverse colon and the descending colon which ends at the rectum and the anus. The large bowel (colon) is about 2m long and 6-7 cm wide. The large bowel (also known as the colon, or large intestine), starts at the final portion of the small bowel (small intestine) and goes all the way to the rectum. The Large Bowel (Colon – large intestine) At the point where food is passed from the small bowel into the large bowel (colon) it is of a ‘porridge like’ consistency. The small bowel (small intestine) absorbs nutrients and much of the liquid from foods. The food then passes through the jejunum and ileum before going to the large bowel (colon). There are 3 parts of the small bowel (small intestine): the duodenum, the jejunum and the ileum.įood passes from the stomach into the duodenum, which is the tube that leads from the stomach into the intestines. The small bowel (or small intestine) is around 6 – 8 m long and roughly 2cm wide. How the Bowel Works: Diagram of the Digestive System The small bowel (small intestine) The passage of food from one area of the intestines to another is coordinated so that food stays in a specific area for long enough for the gut to do a particular job – absorb fluids and nutrients, or process and expel waste. These different sections are separated by bands of muscles, or sphincters, which act as valves. Muscular contractions squeeze (peristalsis) the food through the different sections of the intestine. The digestive system works by pushing food through the intestines which usually takes between 24 to 72 hours. The bowel is part of our digestive system and it works to digest the food we eat, absorb the goodness and nutrients into our blood stream, then process and expel the waste that the body cannot use.
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