Motility vs Sensitivity: Decoding Your IBS Type
IBS symptoms usually come from one of two systems:
- Motility → how the gut moves
- Sensitivity → how the gut interprets signals
Understanding the difference helps guide care.
Motility-Driven IBS
Signs include:
- constipation
- clustering
- sticky stools
- unpredictable rhythms
- morning spikes
- slow evenings
The engine is moving irregularly.
Sensitivity-Driven IBS
Signs include:
- pain from normal gas
- discomfort after eating small meals
- bloating without visible distension
- pain under the ribs
- reactive gut during stress
The volume on the signals is turned up.
Why This Distinction Matters
It tells clinicians:
- which systems need support
- how to stabilize symptoms
- why your triggers behave as they do
- how load affects your gut
- where your thresholds are
Many patients think they have a “food problem” when they actually have a sensitivity problem.
The Human Experience of Motility vs Sensitivity
Patients say:
- “I’m stuck.”
- “I feel everything too intensely.”
- “My stools are soft but hard to pass.”
- “I get bloated even when I haven’t eaten.”
These clues matter.
How TTC Uses This to Guide Care
We determine:
- your primary driver
- your mixed patterns
- what your system needs
- how to decrease reactivity
This clarity changes everything.
