# Abdominal massage - relief?



## sbrookswest (Jan 10, 2010)

Has anybody had much relief for constipation (or any other IBS symptom) after giving oneself an abdominal massage? Over the years, I've read a couple of posts here about abdominal massage and halfheartedly tried it with minimal success. For some reason, recently i've been having quite a bit of success with reducing constipation, bloating, and cramping after massaging my abdomen in clock-wise circles. i think one of the reasons this strategy didn't work for me in the past is that i was doing it to hard. Another interesting note about this strategy is my doctor suggested that i use moxabustion on myself, using these same clockwise spiraling movements. I haven't been very successful with implementing this strategy, but i've been using self-massage in a similar way that is really helping. Brooks


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## Diana63 (Oct 20, 2009)

I am pleased that massage is helping you.I tried this for quite a few years,i went to a trained massage therapist and also an aromatherapy therapist but it did not help me.I did feel relaxed while it was being done but it did not help my IBS symptoms.But i would say anything is worth a try to see if it helps.


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## sbrookswest (Jan 10, 2010)

Thank you for your kind words. I find it only helpful at certain times. For example, i typically only have bowel movements in the morning over a cup of hot grean tea before i eat anything. if i eat anything before i have a bowel movement, i won't have a BM until the next day. Sometimes, however, i can feel in the morning that i'm constipated and that i'm not going to have a bowel movement no matter how much tea i drink or no matter how long i wait to eat. this morning was one such morning. so i decided to try the abdominal massage that i've been finding helpful when i feel my belly gurgling. As soon as i gave myself the massage, i felt the urge to have a BM and had a complete evacuation. On the other hand, just giving myself abdominal massages throughout the day wouldn't help me much. And i guess one of the reasons i shared this is because i had tried abdominal massages before with no success. however, i changed my technique and approach and found it to be an effective tool. Best regards,Brooks


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## sbrookswest (Jan 10, 2010)

I didn't describe the technique i followed very well, so i found a better description on the internet. "And finally, an abdominal massage technique called "spiraling" can effectively release the wound up tension in the abdomen. This is a very simple technique which takes about 2 minutes before bedtime. With the hands cupped together perform small circular movements around the navel. Search out areas of discomfort for they reveal the source of the problem. Remember, IBS is a treatable condition and is not something you will need to live with forever." http://rickbernardacupuncture.com/?p=15Again for me, at night before bed is not necessarily the best time. Also, please note that i don't know anything about the practitioner who wrote this article so i don't have anything to say about how effective he is or is not. Best of luck.


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## Diana63 (Oct 20, 2009)

I have lived with IBS for many many years,it is an awful illness,which for me is something i have had to learn to live with,although i have tried everything there is to try through doctors and alternative therapies,nothing has helped,so personally for me i feel i have lived with IBS forever!!But i never give up hope and will try anything to see if it helps,but there is not much left for me to try anymore.


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## sbrookswest (Jan 10, 2010)

i'm sorry to hear about your long struggles with IBS. Have you tried acupuncture and chinese medicine? There is quite a bit of research that shows Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can help IBS. On the other hand, TCM has helped me, but i have to take much smaller doses of chinese herbs than prescribed. I'm also looking for a more personalized formula.Which leads me to my next question: have you ever tried stopping all treatments? I've found that i've suffered through a number of ineffective treatments that later turned out to make my symptoms worse. I've found very little helps me but good eating habits and exercise (especially yoga and jogging), and all medications and supplements i've tried have made my symptoms worse. Even the TCM has side effects that bother me, and i'm not sure if its benefits outweigh its positives. however, i'd like to try more acupuncture because there are very little if any side effects. How about an exclusion test - eliminating wheat, dairy, corn and gluten for a couple of weeks to see if that helps. This is something i haven't mustered up the discipline to try yet, but plan on it. Best of luck to you and i hope this new year is a great one for you.Brooks


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## Diana63 (Oct 20, 2009)

I have tried acupunture and chinese medicine to no avail.My eating habits are very good,i am careful to watch everything i eat and also my fluid intake is excellent.I have just started recently doing yoga again ,so will see how that goes,and also i have not taken any medicines in any form since beginning of December last year,due to collapsing in the bathroom due to side effects,i am just to frightened to now.So trying to cope without anything at all.I went through total exclusion diet last year,but that showed nothing at all so i could go back to eating my normal diet,only thing i could not take was milk,so i now take soya milk instead.You really need to get in the right frame of mind for an exclusion diet and be as strong as you can,it is difficult to do,but if you say right i am going to try and get on and do it,hopefully you will.I had a very good Dietician who helped me a lot with it.Also have you tried Homeopathy?i did not get any side effects with that.If i ever try anything again it would be a natural therapy as they have the least side effects and usually none at all.I also have chronic fatigue syndrome as well as the ibs,but not much i can do about that.Hoping this year might find something that helps.Thank you for your kind words.Take care of yourself.


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## sbrookswest (Jan 10, 2010)

Thanks, Diana. I hope you find something that works for you. I'm pretty sure that yoga couldn't hurt. I've been to a couple of yoga/tensegrity (similar to qui gong) weekend retreats when my symptoms almost totally disappear. Even several days later, I feel much better until old eating and living habits seem to catch up to me. i guess the challenge for me is to find strategies to make sure i practice regularly.


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