As with urinary incontinence, treatments for faecal incontinence can be either surgical or non-surgical depending on what is causing the condition. Common treatments include:

Pelvic floor exercises – These can help to strengthen the relevant muscles around the rectum and anus to increase control over bowel movements.

Diet - If faecal incontinence is being caused by constipation, simple changes to the diet to increase fibre intake can help as this helps soften stools by absorbing water, and helps waste products to pass through the digestive system. Fibre-rich foods include wholemeal bread, brown rice, fruit and vegetables

Medication – this can help occasional mild faecal incontinence if it is caused by loose stools, weak sphincter muscles, or over-squeezing bowel muscles. Drugs may help to reduce contractions (squeezing) of the large bowel, or increase the absorption of fluids to make stools more solid.

Biofeedback - This is a behavioural treatment that works in a similar manner to bladder–retraining. By helping to identify the feeling of a full rectum and resisting the immediate desire to rush to the toilet the sphincter muscles can be trained to contract when necessary.

Sphincter repair - This is an operation carried out as a result of injury or aging that has caused a gap to develop in the sphincter muscles. Sphincter repair reattaches the rectal muscles, which tightens the sphincter and allows the anus to hold more faecal matter.

Muscle Transplant - This is an operation carried out when the nerves to the sphincter have stopped working properly. A muscle is taken from another part of the body and wrapped around the anal canal to act like a sphincter.

Colostomy - If other treatments fail, a colostomy is an option to relieve symptoms. It is a surgical procedure to divert faecal matter from the rectum into a small bag attached to the skin.