Isabella Lees-Trinca

Isabella completed her Bachelor of Physiotherapy at Monash University and her Post Graduate Certificate in Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy at the University of Melbourne. She has experience in both pelvic floor physiotherapy and chronic pain management.              

The therapy program Isabella provides at Central Melbourne Gastroenterology includes:
Thorough assessment of the existing problem(s) and possible contributing factors.
Education about the condition and strategies for managing it on a daily basis.
Establishing a regular bowel habit
A personalised program designed to improve the function of the muscles involved in effective bowel emptying and /or effective bowel control, which need to be practiced daily at home.
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This may involve any of the following:        
Correcting posture and breathing patterns
Improving control of the abdominal muscles
Improving control of the pelvic floor and sphincter muscles
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It may include the use of a small balloon placed into the rectum (lower bowel) while in the clinic.  This is to help the muscles learn how to perform the correct actions ie “emptying” or “holding on”.   It also helps to train bowel sensation  -  “ knowing when there is something there”   and is often referred to as “biofeedback”. This treatment is not painful.

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Assistance with diet and medication -  either getting off bowel medications/laxatives or using them more effectively.
Progress is monitored and the training program adjusted over time.

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Learning new skills and habits can take as long as 3 to 6 months, with the training program consisting of 3 to 6 therapy sessions over that time.
Most people benefit significantly from completing a full program and by following it diligently at home.  Improvement can be maintained long term with ongoing attention to the strategies learnt.