When used in reference to digestive health, motility is the speed and strength of the contractions of the muscles within the digestive tract. Dysfunction in motility, or dysmotility, has been associated with contributing to the symptoms of IBS.

Dysmotility is a term used to describe a health problem in which the muscles of the digestive system do not work as they should, causing changes in the speed, strength or coordination of the stomach or intestines. In diarrhea, the muscle movement is too fast while in constipation the muscle movement is too slow.