Abdominal Massage for Constipation

I remember learning about this in massage school - that there's a method to help improve digestion and relieve constipation. Here is a review published the the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork regarding Massage Therapy (MT) for constipation.

As expected, the authors reported that MT was helpful in reducing severity of gastrointestinal symptoms. The key take-aways here is that A) reviews are still being done on the topic. A review is when the researchers scan through the databases to collate studies on a particular topic and then report on the findings. Because reviews are still being done, it suggests that there's interest in the topic and also that there's more evidence of MT's usefulness.

B) When one thinks about MT, the usual thoughts involve headaches or backaches etc., which are only a small amount of situations where MT can be appropriate. When there's increasing reports of MT being used to treat 'non-conventional' ailments, it's an indicator that there's more public acceptance for the profession and here's another opportunity to shift the treatment from the physician's office and pharmaceuticals to another method.

If you have digestion issues - constipation, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and others, MT could be a great choice