# Getting out "trapped" gas



## Vikita (Dec 16, 2003)

Hi everyone, I feel lucky that my IBS is very mild compared with some of the poor stories I read on this site. However, I have my bad days, too, and I want to share a minor success story, in the hopes someone else can benefit.My major symptom is gas and bloating, with intermittent D attacks. I've been able to keep the D somewhat under control by eliminating all dairy products, coffee, caffeine, sugarless gum, etc. However, I haven't been able to figure out what's causing the gas, as there are way too many types of gas-causing foods. Thankfully, I don't think that I have too much odor during the day, because my gas doesn't like to come out. It just builds up until I feel like I'm going to pop, and makes me miserable that way.My chiropractor gave me a set of back and shoulder stretches to do every day, and I discovered that one of them enables me to let loose some of the gas that's hiding inside.It's called the "Cat and Camel" stretch. You get down on your hands and knees, with your hands and knees very close to each other, directly underneath your body. You then arch your back up like a Halloween cat, stretching up, and then stretch back the other way, pushing your stomach and back towards the floor, looking up with your head. I do this 15 times every morning, and find that after the first one or two, out comes the gas! (I recommend doing this in the privacy of your own bathroom, or a single-room public bathroom.)I used to be able to find relief by simply lying down on my side, but that doesn't always work anymore. I use this exercise whenever I start to feel icky, and it works 80% of the time to make me feel okay again. It's funny; most of the time I can't tell what's bothering my stomach, if I'm hungry, or gassy, or what. So I do this exercise to see if it's gas, and then have a little something to eat to see if it's hunger. Works a lot of the time.As I mentioned above, single-room public bathrooms are a godsend. However, in an emergency, I do this in a bathroom stall, too. Who cares what anyone else thinks, if it helps me get through a restaurant dinner and not have to leave early?Hope this helps someone else out there!


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