GI Motility Program
The GI Motility Program at Cedars-Sinai uses advanced technology and comprehensive testing to pinpoint the cause of disruptions to your digestive system.
Motility is the synchronized, wave-like movement of the muscles pushing food through your digestive system. Motility disorders, or dysmotility, is when the muscles do not function as they should, causing a range of health problems. Motility disorders can affect any part of the GI tract, including the esophagus, stomach, small bowel, large bowel and anal sphincter. Motility disorders are commonly associated with a change in the balance of the gut microbiome such as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). Our team works with you to develop a personalized treatment plan that targets the source of the problem.
GI Motility Conditions We Treat
We provide expert care for a range of conditions, including:
- Esophageal motility disorders
- Stomach motility disorders
- Small bowel motility disorders
- Large bowel motility disorders
- Anal sphincter disorders (e.g. anisums and fecal incontinence)
- Gut microbiome-related disorders (e.g. small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO))
Our Approach to GI Motility Testing
At Cedars-Sinai, you can expect:
Physician-Led Testing
Our doctors conduct the testing themselves. They observe, guide and redirect the GI motility tests, leading to better, more accurate results.
Advanced Procedures
Our team helped develop national motility testing guidelines, widely used to standardize and improve testing methods.
Care for Complex Cases
We perform a high number of GI motility tests, which enhances our skills, enabling us to provide expert care for even difficult-to-treat cases.
Specialized Team
Our nurse practitioner and nurses specialize in GI motility testing. They have the expertise and experience to guide you through the process and answer your questions along the way.
Collaborative Care
We work with specialists from many disciplines, including surgeons, physical therapists, radiologists, pathologists and dietitians.
A Patient's Guide to GI Motility Testing
GI motility tests are useful tools to discover the cause of many digestive motility conditions.
We offer a wide range of advanced GI motility tests to identify dysmotility conditions of the digestive tract, including new noninvasive testing options.
Learn what to expect when preparing for a GI Motility test, including study length, pretest diet requirements and other protocols.
GI Motility Research and Innovation
The GI Motility Program at Cedars-Sinai is widely recognized for our research discoveries, which are paving the way for new approaches to motility testing and treatment. Many of our discoveries are already helping patients:
- IBS blood test: We created the first-ever diagnostic test for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) that enables us to arrive at an accurate IBS diagnosis.
- IBS medication: This drug, called rifaximin, is a new way to treat IBS. Read more about rifaximin for IBS.
- Role of small bowel microbiome in human disease (REIMAGINE study): This is the largest small bowel microbiome database assessing the role of microbes in the small bowel in various diseases.
Clinical Trials
We are studying new ways to diagnose and treat a wide range of GI motility disorders and digestive system problems.
Medical Professionals
The Digestive and Liver Disease Division at Cedars-Sinai offers a number of subspecialty case conferences, training courses, continuing medical education programs and other professional opportunities.
Have Questions or Need Help?
To make an appointment or refer a patient, call us or send a message to the GI Motility team. You can also have us call you back at your convenience.