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 health of the intestine, you could say.
Using precise abdominal massage to keep your intestines from sticking to each other, to your abdominal wall, or to the organs around them is essential to healthy gut function.
While abdominal massage will not resolve SIBO, it will provide the essential support your intestines need to move well – which is an essential 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. And it’s important to know the things that can affect that movement:
- The function of the gastroesophageal junction (often referenced as a valve) between the esophagus and stomach
- Ability of the stomach 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!