You can have regular, daily bowel movements and still be constipated. Indeed, regular movements are something we should all strive for, but when you’re still experiencing pain and discomfort in your abdomen, you might still have stool in the colon. Today, I’m continuing my conversation with the wonderful Dr. Megan Taylor, about how to treat constipation, particularly in children.
Megan explains how there are different types of abdominal massage, some you can even do yourself, that help to loosen the stools in your intestines. When used regularly, these methods can help treat, and eventually prevent, constipation. At the very least, you’ll feel like your bowel movements have been improved.
We also talk about how important it is to find your perfect healthcare “dream team.” Of course, you should have a primary physician, but you can also include professionals like massage therapists, acupuncturists, nutritionists, mental health therapists, and others. And it’s so important to practice self-care, as well - including techniques like meditation and yoga can have a very positive impact on your gut health.
Finally, Megan explains why she likes to use testing as a diagnostic tool. She says that knowing what you’re treating is more beneficial than a trial and error approach.
Have you built a healthcare team for yourself to cover all aspects of your health? Do you have regular self-care practices you participate in? Have you ever tried abdominal massage?
In This Episode:
- How visceral manipulation and other methods of abdominal massage can help relieve constipation
- How self-massage can assist in improving your bowel movements
- Why you might need to see more than one professional to get the right healthcare for you
- Who your medical “dream team” should consist of
- What benefit acupuncture can have to your overall health and why you should consider it, even if you’re afraid of needles
- How our gut health is connected to our mental health
- What the connection between probiotics and prokinetics is
- Why children with SIBO are easier to treat than adults and what the treatment approach is
Quotes:
“Most folks don’t have just one thing going on, sadly. It would make our lives so much easier [if we did]. We are at least going to have 2, 3, 4 things going on that are contributing to our symptoms, so we need to know what all those are.” (5:13)
“One important point I should probably mention: You could have a bowel movement every day and still have lots of stool in your colon.” (12:13)
“I like testing. I don’t like treating in the dark. I found that we end up trying a whole lot of things and we don’t get at what’s gonna work right away, as quickly. I can’t say that testing guarantees that, but it gets us closer.” (17:25)
Links
Join the SIBO SOS 2019 Speaker Series
Find Dr. Megan Taylor Online | Facebook
Learn more about SIBO SOS Online | Facebook
Check out the full episode post here
