# Gross question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gross-question/362849>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 1, 2006, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gross-question/362849 "2006-07-01T06:39:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![copperwindow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@copperwindow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/copperwindow)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2006, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gross-question/362849/1 "2006-07-01T06:39:09Z")

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I have multiple sclerosis and I suffer from incontinence as a result, especially night time. One way I have of dealing with this is by sticking a finger in my rectum every night and moving pieces of feces around, which helps me excrete it. Also, when I defecate, I generally urinate. My girlfriend, a medical school student, thinks that if I keep on doing this, the muscles in my bowel might stop doing there job, and I’ll have to do this for the rest of my life, all of this being speculation on her part I might add. Is there any truth to this?

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**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2006, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gross-question/362849/2 "2006-07-01T10:37:07Z")

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Here is a site about [Bowel programs](http://www.healthtouch.com/bin/EContent_HT/cnoteShowLfts.asp?fname=07179&title=BOWEL+MANAGEMENT+PROGRAM+AFTER+SPINAL+CORD+INJURY+&cid=HTHLTH) used by spinal cord injured people.

> [@](#):
>
> • Step Five: Stimulate your bowel. If you have not had a BM in 15 minutes, perform digital (DIJ-it-l) (finger) stimulation. Put a well-lubricated, gloved finger into your rectum about two to three inches inside your anus. The goal is to massage the inner sphincter (a ring of muscle inside the anus). To do this, point your finger toward your belly button and move it in a circle around the walls of the rectum. Keep moving your finger in a circle staying in contact with the rectal wall for about 20 seconds. Do not continue for longer than 1 minute. Repeat this every 5 to 10 minutes until you have a BM.?  
> • Step Six: Completely empty your bowel. Perform digital stimulation two more times after the BM, waiting 5 to 10 minutes in between. This makes sure your bowel is as empty as possible.

Hope it helps answer your question.