Functional bowel disorders such as faecal incontinence and constipation are relatively common conditions, which have a significant negative impact on patients. This can often affect the social, psychological and financial areas of life, as well as leading patients to become isolated due in part to the social taboo surrounding bowel issues (Lukacz et al, 2011; Holroyd, 2015a). Constipation can affect up to 25% of the population at some point in their lifetimes (Belsey et al, 2010), and it is a condition that crosses all genders, ages and cultures, although it is more prevalent in the very young or older adults (Holroyd, 2015b).