Defecatory disorders like chronic constipation and faecal incontinence affect 25% of the population with rising incidence. Defecatory disorders pose a major health care burden and are poorly recognized and treated. The need for better diagnostics and therapeutics is substantial. Currently management options for these patients are limited, partly due to the fact that control of defaecation and continence is multifactorial but also due to the fact that it is difficult to identify the exact cause of patients' incontinence.