Constipation Isn’t Just About Food: How Your Pelvic Floor and Fascia Might Be the Real Problem
Constipation is one of those topics people rarely talk about openly — but for many, it’s a frustrating and often painful part of everyday life. If you’re someone who struggles to have regular, complete bowel movements, you know how consuming it can become. The discomfort, the bloating, the endless cycle of trying more fiber, drinking more water, or reaching for the next laxative — only to feel like nothing ever really changes. At Arancia Physical Therapy, we meet people every day who’ve been stuck in this loop, often for years. And the truth is, constipation isn’t just about digestion. In many cases, the root cause lies deeper — in the pelvic floor and the fascia.
The Role of Pelvic Floor Mechanics and Fascial Health in Constipation
Constipation is typically defined as having fewer than three bowel movements per week, or experiencing hard stools, straining, or the sensation of incomplete evacuation. But beyond the textbook definition is a much more complex story that varies from person to person. What’s not often discussed is how deeply connected bowel function is to the rest of the body — especially the pelvic floor muscles and the fascial system that surrounds our organs. The pelvic floor plays a crucial role in elimination. These muscles must relax and lengthen in order to allow stool to pass. But for many people, especially those with a history of stress, trauma, surgery, childbirth, or chronic tension, the pelvic floor is doing the opposite: it's holding on, bracing, or simply out of sync with the body’s natural rhythms. When this happens, no amount of kale, fiber supplements, or water will truly solve the problem.
On top of that, the fascial system — a web of connective tissue that weaves through and around every structure in your body — can become restricted due to physical or emotional stress. Fascia wraps around your intestines, rectum, bladder, and reproductive organs. When it tightens or adheres due to injury, surgery, poor posture, inflammation, or chronic stress, it can create tension and compression that affects how well those organs move and function. Imagine trying to pass stool when your rectum is being compressed or pulled out of alignment by tight, restricted tissue. It's no wonder your body feels stuck.
The Role of the Nervous System in Bowel Regulation
What many people also don’t realize is that chronic constipation shows up differently in men and women. Women are more likely to experience it due to hormonal fluctuations, pregnancy, childbirth, and pelvic surgeries — all of which can lead to significant changes in pelvic floor function and fascial mobility. Men, while less commonly diagnosed, often suffer from pelvic floor tension as well — frequently the result of prolonged sitting, sports-related injuries, heavy lifting, or abdominal gripping patterns. In both men and women, unrelieved constipation can also lead to issues like hemorrhoids, rectal pain, pelvic organ prolapse, and urinary dysfunction.
Another layer to consider is how your nervous system plays into all of this. The gut is often referred to as the “second brain” — and for good reason. It’s intimately connected to your emotions, stress response, and trauma history. Chronic anxiety, overwhelm, and hypervigilance activate your sympathetic nervous system — your fight-or-flight response — which can suppress digestive function. Your body can’t prioritize bowel movements when it’s stuck in survival mode. Over time, this leads to a disconnect between your mind and body, where the act of going to the bathroom feels blocked, difficult, or even scary.
The Arancia Approach: Unwinding the Deeper Layers of Constipation
At Arancia Physical Therapy, we understand constipation not as a standalone issue, but as a symptom of deeper dysfunction in the body’s structural and emotional systems. We take a holistic approach by assessing posture, alignment, fascial restrictions, pelvic floor muscle coordination, and nervous system regulation. We combine expert-level pelvic floor therapy with the John Barnes Myofascial Release approach — a gentle, hands-on technique that works deeply within the body to release tension and restore balance. This work is not just physical — it’s emotional, somatic, and deeply transformative. We don’t believe in surface-level solutions. We help our clients uncover what’s really going on, empower them with body awareness, and support the body in relearning how to let go — literally and figuratively.
If you’ve been struggling with constipation and feel like you’ve tried everything, it might be time to stop blaming your diet and start listening to your body. There is another way forward — one that addresses the whole you. At Arancia Physical Therapy, we’re here to walk that path with you. You don’t have to be stuck anymore.