Helping people with MS self-manage bowel problems

About the project

Bowel problems are common in MS, and we know they can affect people’s self-confidence, behaviour and independence. But bowel problems can still sometimes be a taboo subject. So people with MS and their carers can feel they have to manage the symptoms on their own through trial and error.

Previous research has shown that some people with MS want to be more knowledgeable about how to self-manage bowel problems, but they feel there aren’t currently sufficient resources available to educate themselves. Education could help provide people with the knowledge and skills to actively self-manage their bowel problems, as well as to take the initiative in conversations with their MS clinicians.

The researchers plan to develop a programme to help support open discussions between people with MS and their MS clinicians about bowel problems. It will also aim to support people with MS to effectively self-manage their bowel symptoms, through enhanced knowledge and practical strategies, and to actively pursue treatments with the support of their MS clinicians.

The researchers will work with people with MS, their carers and MS clinicans, to design and test the programme.

How will it help people with MS?

The findings from this study will tell us whether the newly designed programme is acceptable to people with MS. Those findings will then be used to design a large-scale trial. Ultimately, the researchers hope this will lead to an evidence-based self-management programme, being implemented and supported by clinicians across the NHS.

This should make a real difference to the lives of people with MS experiencing bowel problems and their family carers. Supporting people to self-manage their health can lead to improvements in physical and psychological wellbeing. If people with MS are able to manage their bowel problems more effectively, this should have a positive impact on how they think and feel, and so enhance their quality of life.