Effect of visceral massage on gastrointestinal dysfunction in adults with spinal cord injury – a case study

People with spinal cord injury have a number of permanent health problems that get worse during the bad lifestyle and aging. Among them there are gastrointestinal complications, which have a signifi cant negative impact on health, quality of life and well-being of patients. The purpose of this case study was to determine the effi cacy of visceral massage in reducing the severity of bowel dysfunction symptoms of chronic patients with spinal cord injury. The standardized questionnaire Neurogenic Bowel Dysfunction score (NBD score), the standardized questionnaire Irritable Bowel Syndrome – Quality of Life survey (IBS-QOL) and non-standardized Czech version questionnaire Burwood Questionnaire were used to objectify the study results. The assessment was added with information from the anamnestic interviews. This case study demonstrated the positive impact of visceral massage on the reduction of NBD score, abdominal pain and discomfort. Defecation characteristics were positively changed, too (frequency, amount, consistency, faecal incontinence). Physiotherapists should not neglect the need for dia gnosis and therapy of gastrointestinal problems in persons with spinal cord injury in clinical practice. However, this issue also depends on the patient‘s compliance with dietary measures, optimal bowel management and healthy lifestyle.