Cut the crap.
Or help it move along at least.
If constipation is a regular (no pun intended) occurrence, the first step is to figure out why – and it’s most likely going to be diet-related unless you have a diagnosed medical condition.
Figuring out the cause should be a combined task between yourself, your family doctor, and a nutritionist to ensure you’re consuming the appropriate amount of fibre based on your needs.
Enemas and suppositories should only be used as a very last resort if it’s been a few days of no elimination, but there are massage techniques you can perform on yourself or a family member sooner to prevent last resort measures.
Let’s create a scenario.
You haven’t had a bowel movement for a couple of days, you’re having sporadic cramping and pain more on the left side of your abdomen. You most likely have some fecal matter that just doesn’t seem to want to move, especially if it’s super dry. Not even a coffee gets things going.
So how do you jump start the poo-poo-train?
Just some abdominal massage in a specific pattern!
So let’s try to simplify this as much as possible; you need to visualize the large intestine within a square shape of your abdomen (check the photo attached in Article Sources)
It runs from just above your right hip bone, up just behind the edge of the ribs (ascending colon), across to the ribs on the left (transverse colon), down to your left hip bone (descending colon), continues to your midline above your pubic bone (sigmoid colon), and then inward to make up your rectum.
So the direction of your large intestine, is also the direction of your bowel movements; clockwise. However, to help with constipation you can’t just simply rub yours or your child’s/elderly parents abdomen in a clockwise motion to get things moving, as there’s a blockage somewhere and you can make it worse.
Think of your large intestine as a subway system. If there’s a temporary closure at a station, the trains before that station can’t continue their route until that closure clears completely. The same concept applies to your bowels. If there’s a blockage of fecal matter (whether it’s not in a normal log shape or extremely dry), massaging the abdomen in a clockwise motion without clearing the obstruction will lead to further constipation, pain and discomfort.
We just need to work backwards first using the I L U (I Love You) method.
Start with laying down (yourself or a family member), with the pads of your four fingers and fingertips of one hand or both, with firm pressure massaging in slow circles rhythmically from just above the left hip bone.
Gradually move upwards linearly and slowly up to the tip of the rib cage. This is your ‘I’.
Now go back to the left hip, apply the same technique but now continue across the top of the abdomen below the ribs to the tip of the right side of the ribcage. This is your ‘L’.
Go back to your starting point, same technique up and across the abdomen, but now continue down to the right hip bone. This is your ‘U’.
Performing the technique this way allows you to gently help move that blockage as to not create too much unpleasant stimulation.
Complete a couple rounds of this and you can then gently rub clockwise to encourage the movement of your bowels. You can even use a cold washcloth to rub clockwise as it can help stimulate movement as well.
Most blockages happen in the descending colon, so that’s why we start massaging here first.
The results can be immediate or take up to an hour for elimination.
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