Influence of Body Position on Defecation in Humans

  1. Ryuji SAKAKIBARA1,*,
  2. Kuniko TSUNOYAMA2,
  3. Hiroyasu HOSOI3,
  4. Osamu TAKAHASHI4,
  5. Megumi SUGIYAMA4,
  6. Masahiko KISHI1,
  7. Emina OGAWA1,
  8. Hitoshi TERADA5,
  9. Tomoyuki UCHIYAMA6,
  10. Tomonori YAMANISHI7

Article first published online: 11 JAN 2010

DOI: 10.1111/j.1757-5672.2009.00057.x

Issue

LUTS: Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms

LUTS: Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms

Volume 2, Issue 1, pages 16–21, April 2010

Additional Information

How to Cite

SAKAKIBARA, R., TSUNOYAMA, K., HOSOI, H., TAKAHASHI, O., SUGIYAMA, M., KISHI, M., OGAWA, E., TERADA, H., UCHIYAMA, T. and YAMANISHI, T. (2010), Influence of Body Position on Defecation in Humans. LUTS: Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms, 2: 16–21. doi: 10.1111/j.1757-5672.2009.00057.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Neurology, Sakura Medical Center, Toho University, Sakura, Japan

  2. 2

    Department of Urology, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan

  3. 3

    Aishin Seiki Inc., Tokyo, Japan

  4. 4

    Clinical Physiology Unit, Sakura Medical Center, Toho University, Sakura, Japan

  5. 5

    Department of Radiology, Sakura Medical Center, Toho University, Sakura, Japan

  6. 6

    Department of Neurology, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan

  7. 7

    Department of Urology, Dokkyo Medical College, Tochigi, Japan

* Ryuji Sakakibara, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Neurology, Internal Medicine, Sakura Medical Center, Toho University, 564-1 Shimoshizu, Sakura, 285-8741 Japan. Tel: +81-43-462-8811 ext. 2323; Fax: +81-43-487-4246. Email: sakakibara@sakura.med.toho-u.ac.jp

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 13 APR 2010
  2. Article first published online: 11 JAN 2010
  3. Received 20 August 2009; revised 25 September 2009; accepted 12 October 2009.

SEARCH

SEARCH BY CITATION

ARTICLE TOOLS

View Full Article (HTML) Get PDF (610K)

Keywords:

  • constipation;
  • defecation;
  • manometry;
  • squatting

Objectives: To compare three positions for defecation by measuring abdominal pressure and the anorectal angle simultaneously.

Methods: We recruited six healthy volunteers. The videomanometric measures included simultaneous fluoroscopic images, abdominal pressures, subtracted rectal pressures and anal sphincter pressures. Three positions were used: sitting, sitting with the hip flexing at 60 ° with respect to the rest of the body, and squatting with the hip flexing at 22.5 ° with respect to the rest of the body.

Results: Basal abdominal pressure before defecation on hip-flex sitting was lower than that with normal sitting, although the difference did not reach statistical significance. Basal abdominal pressure before defecation on squatting (26 cmH2O) was lower than that with normal sitting (P < 0.01). Abdominal pressure increase (strain) on hip-flex sitting was lower than that with normal sitting, although this difference did not reach statistical significance. Similarly, the abdominal pressure increase on squatting was smaller than that with normal sitting, and yet the difference did not reach statistical significance. The rectoanal angle on defecation on hip-flex sitting did not differ from that with normal sitting. The rectoanal angle on defecation on squatting (126 °) was larger than that with normal sitting (100 °) (P < 0.05), and was also larger than that with hip-flex sitting (99 °) (P < 0.01).

Conclusion: The results of the present study suggest that the greater the hip flexion achieved by squatting, the straighter the rectoanal canal will be, and accordingly, less strain will be required for defecation.

View Full Article (HTML) Get PDF (610K)