Therapeutic possibilities in colonic motility disorders

Colonic motility disorders can be treated by changing the diet, modifying the patient's daily behaviour, giving drugs to enhance or inhibit colonic contraction, or by performing surgery. Therapy in constipation mainly relies on the use of bulk-forming agents, in addition to a change in behaviour. Dietary fibre, particularly bran, appears to be effective in diverticular disease. Bowel atony is largely caused by increased sympathetic activity, and thus frequently responds to sympatholysis. In the irritable bowel syndrome, amelioration is achieved by taking bran and omitting badly tolerated food; antispasmodics and psychotherapy are also probably beneficial. Diarrhoea and incontinence may be treated by opioids, such as loperamide. Recent progress has been mainly in the understanding of the pathophysiology of these disorders, but rapid therapeutic advances are now taking place.