Can massage help you if you are constipated?

Recently scientists have looked at the impact of abdominal massage on people with constipation.

Constipation affects twice as many women as men.  Older people are more likely to be affected and in addition taking certain medications e.g. opioids can cause it.

A randomised control trail of 204 patients with constipation (from opioid medication), were split into two equal groups.  The intervention group were taught how to administer abdominal massage on themselves, in a clockwise direction over the intestines on the abdominal wall, which they performed twice a day for four weeks after breakfast & dinner.

The control group received standard medical care, such as laxatives, suppositories and enemas.

Both groups were asked to keep a diary of their bowel movements and to complete three questionnaires, including the Bristol stool scale for evaluating stools and bowel habits, the visual analogue scale, which contains questions about constipation, including severity, straining & pain.

Patients in the massage group reported significant improvements in stool consistency, straining during defecation, the feeling of incomplete emptying after defecation and experienced increase bowel movements.  They also reported a reduction in the severity of constipation, pain, straining, gas & fullness in the rectum.  However, the massage had no effect on the stool amount.

The researchers concluded that abdominal massage was an effective approach for managing opioid induced constipation.  So if you suffer from constipation consider abdominal massage.

Reference

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31358243

Related Posts

  • Hypertension – Lifestyle factors

    Following on from my introduction to Hypertension (High BP), in this blog I want to discuss lifestyle strategies to prevent and assist the treatment of Hypertension (High BP). Manage your Stress I know its obvious, but I thought it was worth starting with this.  The link between hypertension and stress is well documented as are the long list of things that help you cope including exercise, counselling, massage, reflexology etc.  While we are on the subject of the obvious, I would like to remind readers that High BP is associated with high salt diets, smoking and high alcohol consumption too. Optimise your Vitamin D levels Ateria stiffness (atherosclerosis) is a driving factor for hypertension.  As your blood travels from your heart, cells in the wall of your aorta, called barorecptors, sense the pressure load, and signal your nervous system to either raise or lower the pressure.  However, the stiffer your arteries are, the more insensitive your baroreceptors become, and the less efficient they become at sending the signals.  Vitamin D deficiency is, in turn, linked to stiff arteries, which is why optimising your vitamin D levels are so important. Get enough sleep In a study presented at the American Heart Association High Blood Pressure Research 2012 Scientific Sessions, researchers found a strong link between sleep quality and a type of high blood pressure known as resistant hypertension, which does not respond to typical drug-based treatments. In fact, women who had resistant hypertension were five times as likely to also have poor sleep quality. While the average length of sleep in this study was only 6.4 hours a night (and nearly half slept fewer than six hours each night), it was sleep quality, not quantity, that appeared to influence hypertension risk. While this study only found an association with women, other studies have also linked hypertension in men to a lack of deep sleep,1 and sleeping fewer than seven hours a night has been linked to hypertension in both men and women.2 Read Part 3 References 1 Hypertension AHA August 29, 2011 2 Sleep. 2006 Aug;29(8):1009-14.

  • Trigger Points

    Often clients sit down to have a massage and are unaware how tight one area of there shoulder or neck is.  This is very common and here is why:

    • We only notice the worse area of pain - so if our right shoulder is more painful, we have a tendency to assume our left shoulder is OK.
    • Trigger Points
    What are Trigger Points? Trigger Points are hyper-irritable spots in muscle which are between 2mm - 10mm in diameter that are located frequently located where the nerves join the muscle fibers.  Active trigger points are always tender or painful, and often refer pain, so trigger points in only of the largest shoulder muscles the trapezius often refers pain up the side of the neck.  While latent trigger points are only painful when they are touched.  This is why when I work, sometime you discover areas of your shoulders that you didn't know were painful, these are latent trigger points. Trigger points can be found anywhere in the body but are extremely common in the shoulders. So if latent trigger points are only painful when you touch them, do I need a massage to release them?  The simple answer is yes as they may restrict your range of movement, so you will feel tightness if you try and rotate your shoulders or they can reduce the strength of your muscles, which puts more strain on your joints. What causes trigger points? There are several ideas about what causes trigger points but no agreed theory.  Below is a list of possible causes
    • Poor Posture
    • Muscle Damage
    • Nervous Tension
    • Physical Stress
    • Psyschological Stress
    • Environmental Factors - cold, damp
    • Illness
    • Lack of rest or sleep
    • Poor Diet
    What are the symptoms of trigger points?
    • Restricted movement
    • Tension headaches
    • Referred pain
    • Painful movement of a joint or limb
    How can I prevent trigger points forming?
    • Maintain good posture
    • Manage your stress
    • Follow a daily stretching routine
    How can I get rid of my trigger points?
    • Acupuncture
    • Massage
         

  • Can Sports Massage help prevent sports injuries?

    Athletes who are looking to improve performance and increase their competitive edge do so by adopting a training schedule to enhance their skill, strength, stamina, suppleness and speed. The degree to which they develop and utilise these qualities will depend on other factors such as the level of competition, the sport played, and possibly their position in a team. However, no matter which sport, the aim is nearly always to increase the level of training and thereby subject the body to gradual and controlled overuse. This overuse can often create problems and imbalances in the muscles. If these are ignored and allowed to become chronic, they will not only hinder the athlete's rate of improvement, but also in many cases their performance may well suffer and ultimately the athlete may be susceptible to developing more conditions that are serious. Certainly if they are unable to perform at their best, they may be more at risk from other more traumatic forms of injury.   So it is essential to treat muscular imbalances early. Whether it is to carry out our normal daily activities or to participate in the majority of sporting activities, it is necessary to have normal range of movement at any given joint(s). It has been suggested that a lack of flexibility can increase the risk of musculoskeletal injuries as reduced muscle flexibility may restrict joint range of movement creating abnormal movement patterns. For example shortened calf muscles may restrict ankle dorsiflexion, causing an altered gait pattern while running or walking. This may produce a compensatory pattern of walking, with a laterally turned out foot, eventually leading to pain in the hip or knee. A sports masseur can determine if the muscular imbalance caused by training has impacted the range of movement of the client by assessing the range of movement.   By detecting these muscular imbalances early,  before they become more serious and cause pain or impact an athlete’s performance a sports massage can prevent injury.  The prevention of injury is the biggest benefit of sports massage.