Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) is most often managed by working with food, supplements, antibiotics, and other ingested treatments.
But there is an additional very important aspect of treating this condition, and others like it. That is the ability of the intestine to move without restriction in the belly. This is about the muscle and fascia health of the intestine.
Using precise abdominal massage to keep your intestines from sticking to each other, to your abdominal wall, or to the organs around them is very helpful to healthy gut function.
While abdominal massage will not resolve SIBO, it can provide the essential support your intestines need to move well – which is a component of making sure the inside of your gut is staying healthy.
What does massage have to do with digestion?
Digestion is about a lot more than what’s inside your gut. There are many ways the stomach and intestinal loops can restrict digestion and the movement of material through the gut. It’s important to know the things that can affect that internal movement:
- The function of the gastroesophageal junction (often called a valve) between the esophagus and stomach. Hiatal hernias are a common dysfunction of this area.
- Ability of the stomach organ to expand and contract with ease
- Health, placement, and mobility of the cecum
- Ileocecal valve function
- Movement of the intestinal loops as they expand and contract (or try to)
- and more
I have found through the years of working with clients who have SIBO that abdominal massage goes a long way in helping to resolve lingering symptoms such as:
- Swelling, bloating, and gas
- Pain or discomfort during digestion
- Nausea
- Loose stool or constipation
- and more
This is because all of these symptoms can be caused not just by what’s happening inside the intestine, but by how restricted the intestinal loops are inside your belly.
Overall, I have found that abdominal massage helps my clients’ SIBO treatments go faster and somewhat easier.
If you’re ready to see what hands-on abdominal massage can do to help you, I hope you’ll check out one of my programs!