What is digestion?
Digestion has four stages: 1. Ingestion (eating), 2. Digestion (breaking food down), 3. Absorption (taking in nutrients), 4. Elimination (removing waste from the body). This is an amazing process involving voluntary and involuntary muscles, hormones, multiple organs, and important neural responses.
Peristalsis is the pumping action of contracting and relaxing muscle that pushes food through the body. When food is swallowed, peristaltic waves move the food down the esophagus, all the way through stomach, small and large intestines, and out of the body. This is why the urge to go to the toilet comes and goes in waves, literally.
What goes wrong and how do I treat it?
Diet, lifestyle, stress, illness, and chronic diseases can all seriously affect this vital process. Elimination is the most common and obvious struggle, though absorption is also a common problem. A sluggish digestive system can make you feel fatigued, bloated, and generally unwell. Chronic constipation can lead to more serious problems, i.e. bowel perforations, incontinence, pain.
Treatment for digestive disorders will always depend on the cause. You might be dehydrated, or you might have a chronic illness. It’s a broad issue. However, one treatment that is always safe and helpful is massage. Although having a professional massage might be more comfortable and relaxing, you can also have excellent results with self-massage when it comes to digestion, and this is going to be the most useful to you if it’s a daily issue.
To self-massage:
1) Work in a circle from your right side to your left, starting from the beginning of the colon (large intestine) known as the ascending colon, up to the transverse colon (across), and down the descending colon, which leads to the exit. Don’t press too much on the small intestine in the middle, it will just feel weird. Apply pressure as is comfortable.
2) Reach around to your lower back, and press fingers downwards along the muscles on either side of the spine. It’s best to go from just below the last ribs, all the way down to the tailbone. Try some circular finger motions around the back and top of the pelvis. If you’re suffering from constipation, try this lower back massaging while you’re on the toilet. It’s great for relaxing the guts and rectum, and can elicit very quick results.
