Behavioural Treatment for Functional Bowel Symptoms in Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Condition: Inflammatory Bowel Diseases; Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders
MeSH terms: Intestinal Diseases; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases; Gastrointestinal Diseases; Digestive System Diseases
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The primary aim of the project is to investigate whether a behavioural training programme
      improves troublesome bowel symptoms, that people with inflammatory bowel disease continue to
      have, despite their disease being controlled by medication. The other aim is to determine if
      there are factors which influence how well the training programme works.

      People attending an Inflammatory Bowel Disease clinic in a tertiary hospital, with bothersome
      bowel symptoms despite disease control, will be asked to join the study. This involves 2 to 6
      sessions with a pelvic floor trained physiotherapist over a period of 6 months with further
      follow up at 12 months..
    

Detailed description: 
      Inflammatory bowel diseases, chiefly Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, are chronic
      gastrointestinal (gut) conditions which tend to flare up some times and be quiet for other
      periods of time. They are usually controlled by medication. Inflammatory bowel disease is
      becoming more common, is usually diagnosed at a young age and is lifelong.

      A significant number of people with inflammatory bowel disease can have bowel symptoms which
      are bothersome even when the disease is quiescent. These symptoms include bowel urgency,
      frequent toileting, incontinence (leakage), constipation (infrequent bowel actions and/or
      difficulty emptying the bowel), abdominal pain, rectal pain or abdominal bloating. The
      symptoms can be very embarrassing or stressful, limiting activities and making life less
      enjoyable.

      People with these bowel symptoms, but without inflammatory bowel disease, respond to a type
      of therapy called behavioural treatment. We don't know yet if this treatment helps people
      with inflammatory bowel disease.

      Behavioural treatment involves learning about how the bowel works, better ways to manage
      bowel problems and specific exercises to improve bowel control. Specially trained pelvic
      floor physiotherapists provide 2-6 sessions, over 6 months, of behavioural treatment which
      may include the use of biofeedback techniques.

      Participants will be asked to complete surveys at the beginning and end of treatment and 12
      months later.

      There are no recognised risks or unwanted side effects caused by behavioural treatment. The
      benefits are that people with inflammatory bowel disease will have an alternative low cost,
      low risk treatment which enables them to self-manage bowel symptoms and improve the quality
      of their life long term.
    

Intervention name(s): Behavioural treatment
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): 2 to 6 sessions of behavioural training with a pelvic floor physiotherapist
Other intervention name(s): Behavioural training programme
Intervention model: Single Group Assignment
Intervention model description: Prospective cohort
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Inflammatory bowel disease, pelvic floor exercise