How Vaginal Splinting Can Help You Poop

Vaginal splinting is a common way to ease constipation. By pressing your fingers against the vaginal wall, you can ease stool out of the rectum. Vaginal splinting may be used when you can't poop or when you experience incomplete evacuation (the sensation that the bowel has not been cleared even if it has).

While most people occasionally experience constipation without any concern about serious issues, the need to perform vaginal splinting may be a sign that you have a bowel condition.

This article explains what is involved with vaginal splinting and describes some of the medical conditions in which vaginal splinting may be used to help empty the bowel. It also discusses when you might need to talk to your healthcare provider about problems passing stool.

What Is Vaginal Splinting?

Vaginal splinting is a form of digital evacuation ("digital" referring to fingers). It involves placing clean fingers into the vagina and pressing against the back wall to help ease stool out of the rectum. To do this, follow these steps:

• Wash your hands thoroughly.
• Wear a glove if desired.
• Use a lubricant on your fingers if you'd like.
• Insert one or two fingers into the vagina.
• Press along the wall of the vagina adjacent to the rectum.
• Feel around the back wall for a bulge, and use your fingers to gently move the stool toward the anus in a downward motion.

While vaginal splinting is commonly performed with fingers, a tampon can also be used to apply pressure to the back wall of the vagina.

There are other ways to overcome constipation manually. This includes massaging the buttock and/or perineum (the diamond-shaped area between the anus and vagina) or performing digital disimpaction (in which fingers are inserted into the anus to help remove stool).

Is Vaginal Splinting Effective?

Vaginal splinting can be effective at aiding the evacuation of stool from the rectum.

However, the frequent need to assist stool is a sign that there might be other issues that need to be addressed with a healthcare provider, such as pelvic organ prolapse, being unable to empty the bowels fully, and constipation.

Over time, straining can cause the weakening of the pelvic floor and associated problems like pelvic organ prolapse (POP). Vaginal splinting is one way to help move the stool out of the anal canal when it cannot be passed naturally.

Signs of a Bowel Disorder

Women often resort to splinting to compensate for changes in the anatomy and function of the pelvic organs.

There are various conditions for which vaginal splinting may be needed to remove stool, three of which involve the prolapse (bulging) of the pelvic organs. These include:

• Cystocele: The bulging of the bladder into the vagina
• Dyssynergic defecation: The dysfunction of the pelvic floor muscles and nerves that regulate bowel clearance
• Enterocele: The bulging of the bowel into the vagina and rectum
• Rectocele: The bulging of the wall of the rectum into the vagina
  

Other Treatments for Constipation

If you're dealing with constipation, several at-home treatments and lifestyle changes may help. They include:

• Ensuring adequate hydration
• Increasing physical activity
• Adding fiber to your diet
• Taking over-the-counter treatments, including fiber supplements, stool softeners, enemas, and laxatives
• Massaging your abdomen

Medical treatments for prolonged constipation can also include prescription medication and biofeedback therapy.

When to Contact Your Healthcare Provider

If you find you need to perform vaginal splinting often, it's worth checking in with a healthcare provider to see whether you could benefit from treatment for constipation.

In one study on vaginal splinting, researchers found that most women who used vaginal splinting had some form of pelvic floor dysfunction. This can be addressed in several ways, including physical therapy, bowel retraining, and surgery in more severe cases.

Summary

Vaginal splinting is a procedure in which fingers are inserted into the vagina to manipulate stool out of the rectum manually. It is done by feeling around for a bulge in the back of the vagina and gently pressing in a downward motion to help ease the stool out of the body.

Vaginal splinting may be used to relieve occasional constipation but is more commonly used when a woman experiences pelvis organ prolapse or experiences dysfunction of the muscles and nerves to help regulate bowel movements.