What Is a GI Motility Study?

Gastrointestinal motility refers to the movement of food and liquids through the digestive tract, including the waste after digestion. If you experience digestive problems, your physician might order a GI motility study to look at how your stomach and upper small intestines contract.

GI Motility Disorders

• In GI motility disorders, the nerves and muscles of the gastrointestinal tract are not working properly. These disorders affecting both sexes are common among all races, nationalities and ages. The types of gastrointestinal disorders that would be looked into with a GI motility study are incontinence, inflammatory bowel disease, acid reflux and chronic constipation.

Procedure

• For the GI motility study, a small tube is swallowed to monitor your digestive tract. The tube does not impact breathing. The tube will monitor the stomach and small intestine for a few hours. Then, you will ingest a small amount of food or medication for further monitoring. This will help determine the cause of your GI disorder.

Preparation

• The stomach must be empty at the start of the test, so you should not eat or drink after 10 p.m. the night prior to the study. Additionally, you should not consume any high carbohydrate foods, such as pasta or potatoes, after 7 p.m. the prior night. The test lasts from six to eight hours, so you should wear comfortable clothing.