Best Natural Remedy for Constipation

From a Double Board Certified Pelvic PT!

Everybody poops. Some of us poop 'better' than others.  Let’s all try to join that club.

Like, we all have 'that friend,' right? The one who poops easily and daily no matter what they eat? Well, great for them. For the rest of us, most of us can use this tip for the best natural remedy for constipation. 

If you have 3 minutes, I have a natural remedy for constipation for you. 

The best natural remedy for constipation is belly massage!

 Belly massage improves the health of the nerves that control your digestion bits.  You can watch a 3 minute video HERE, or read on for 3-minutes.

Belly Massage: The Best Natural Remedy for Constipation

The better the circulation to the gut, and the easier the 'poop' can move through the tubes, and the better formed the stool is. This is great for both 'too hard' and 'too soft' poops. (if you’re wondering what your poop ‘should’ look like, check out this post!)

The ‘colon’ is the technical name for the large intestine, or the part of our body that makes poop, AND that is responsible for pushing the poop out of our rectum..

Clear this massage with your physician if you have concerns, and this belly massage should never hurt. So if it hurts, don't do it, silly.

Q: Are we “actually” massaging the colon when we are doing this?

A: No, probably not. The actual colon is super deep.  BUT this massage still works. “Why”? You ask? Because many of the nerves that innervate the sensory and muscular function of the abdomen and colon travel through our belly–so the happier they are, the better our 💩!

Pelvic Floored’s Belly Massage in 5 Easy Steps:

1. Get Blood Moving: Massage small circles around your belly button

30-60 seconds, gentle circles around your belly button. Improves general circulation. Better circulation = better moving poops.

2. Sigmoid Colon Clearing:

The “colon” is the large intestine, or the part that makes the poop.

The “sigmoid colon” is the last part of the colon, where the poop has to make two near-90 degree turns before it exits the body.

We clear this region 1st, so that all the other areas have space to move into. 

Start with moderate pressure, just to the inside of your left hip bone–keep this pressure and pull inward towards a space between your pubic bone and belly button.  Release pressure, then repeat 3-5x.

Admitting that we’re not actually touching the colon, it might be useful to visualize that you are helping poop make the last  2 turns in the S-bend before the rectum!

3. Descending Colon Clearing:

The descending colon is the part of the colon that comes from under our left ribcage down to the left hip, where it turns into the sigmoid.

To clear here, start with moderate pressure at left side of upper belly, just beneath ribs.  Keep this moderate pressure, and pushing downward from under ribs toward left hip.

Visualize “moving the poop” down the descending colon, into the space you just created in the sigmoid colon. Again 3-5 reps is dandy. Realistically, we are actually mobilizing all the nerves that go to our belly and the descending colon, more so than the 💩 itself, but use whatever visualization helps you the most!

4. Skip Transverse Colon

The Transverse Colon is the part of the large intestine that goes across the upper abdominal region.  We skip mobilizing this area, because there’s other organs in front of the colon here.

5. Ascending Colon Clearing:

The ascending colon is the part of the large intestine that goes from the bottom right (by your deep right hip) to upper right of your abdomen (under ribs, by liver). 

To mobilize this area, using firm pressure, start deep in the front of the right hip, just inside of your hip bone. Pull firmly upwards towards the right side of your lower ribcage. Release pressure and move your hand back down by your right hip. Repeat 3-5x.

6. Clear the Cecum

The Cecum is the part where your small intestine meets your large intestine.

If 'stuff' is sticky there, overall colic transit (speed of 'stuff' through abdomen) is slowed. So get that Cecum moving!

3-5 moderate pulls. This time from deep right hip, then inwards towards a space between belly button and pubic bone (mirror image of the first step, actually). Release pressure then move hand back to right hip. Repeat 3-5x.

Do this before bed, every night for a week and enjoy the 💩 results!

Everybody poops, and I hope this helps you poop better! Please share this with someone who needs it!

Thanks for reading!

XOXO

Dr. Kelly 

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