Constipation is a common digestive complaint,\u00a0and constipation is one of the most common. Many people ignore it or treat it with laxatives. But when it lasts for a long time, it can have a big effect on daily comfort, digestion, mood, and even posture.<\/p>\n
In this article, we’ll talk about how chronic constipation happens, why the digestive system sometimes needs help from a person, and how visceral osteopathy can help get the intestines moving again.<\/p>\n
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Chronic constipation is when you have bowel movements that are infrequent, hard, or not complete for weeks or longer. The Rome IV criteria say that it usually includes two or more of the following:<\/p>\n
Constipation that happens once in a while is normal, but chronic constipation affects 15\u201320% of adults in developed countries. Women and older adults are more likely to have it<\/p>\n
There are many things that can cause or make constipation worse.<\/p>\n
This is where osteopathy, especially visceral osteopathy, comes in. By fixing physical tensions or mobility problems in the abdominal cavity, we can often get the digestive system to work more naturally again.<\/p>\n
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Visceral osteopathy is a type of manual therapy that focuses on how well internal organs can move, especially those in the abdomen and pelvis. It is based on the idea that organs should be able to move freely, just like muscles and joints can move freely with each other and in their anatomical attachments.<\/p>\n
If an organ can’t move as freely because of surgery, inflammation, tension, posture, or stress, this can interfere with its function. When someone is constipated, restrictions in the colon, small intestine, mesentery, or surrounding structures (like the diaphragm or pelvic floor) may make it harder for the bowels to move or make it harder for them to coordinate their movements.<\/p>\n
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Osteopathy looks at constipation from a whole-body point of view, knowing that digestion isn’t just chemical or neurological; it’s also mechanical. Every time we breathe, walk, or change our posture, our organs move. Dysfunction can happen when their movement is restricted.<\/p>\n
This is how osteopathic treatment can help:<\/p>\n
1. Improving Visceral Mobility<\/b>
\nManual techniques are used to gently release tension and make the colon, especially the sigmoid colon and rectum, which are important for evacuation, move more freely. Working on the mesenteric attachments of the small intestine can also help get fluids moving again and reduce bloating.<\/p>\n
2. Supporting the Diaphragm<\/b>
\nThe diaphragm moves up and down with each breath and also massages the organs in the abdomen. If stress, bad posture, or trauma make it hard for it to move, it might not be able to stimulate the intestines enough. Osteopathic practitioners often work on tension in the diaphragm to improve gut motility as a whole.<\/p>\n
3. Treating problems with the pelvic floor<\/b>
\nConstipation can sometimes be caused by pelvic floor muscles that don’t relax properly when you poop. Osteopathy can help relieve tension, improve alignment, and help the abdomen and pelvic floor work together better by working on the pelvic structures.<\/p>\n
4. Reducing\u00a0tension in the nervous system<\/b>
\nOsteopathic work on the autonomic nervous system, especially the vagus nerve and sacral nerves, can help the body switch from “fight or flight” mode to “rest and digest” mode. Techniques used on the skull, spine, and sacrum can help with this regulatory effect.
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\n5. Treating Post-Surgical or Scar Adhesions<\/b>
\nC-sections, appendectomies, and hernia repairs are all types of abdominal surgeries that can cause adhesions that restrict organ mobility. Osteopathic techniques help make scar tissue softer and fascial glide better, which lets organs move more naturally.<\/p>\n
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Visceral osteopathy is a well-known and well-supported practice, but it is still a new area of research. A 2018 systematic review (PLoS One) found some evidence that manual therapy, including visceral techniques, can help some people with gastrointestinal problems.<\/p>\n
Another study published\u00a0in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies in 2020 found that patients who received visceral manipulation had more regular bowel movements and less stomach pain than those who did not.<\/p>\n
While the mechanisms of action are not fully understood, patients commonly report:<\/p>\n
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Your Osteopathic practitioner will begin with a detailed case history, including digestive habits, surgical history, diet, stress, and posture. A hands-on assessment of abdominal tension, organ mobility, and breathing patterns follows.<\/p>\n
Treatments may include:<\/p>\n
After a few sessions, patients usually feel lighter, more relaxed, and notice gradual improvement in regularity over several sessions.<\/p>\n
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Osteopathic care works best when it is paired with help with daily activities:<\/p>\n
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Constipation that lasts for a long time is not just a problem with the gut; it is a problem with the whole body that can often be gently fixed with osteopathic care. Visceral osteopathy is a unique, non-invasive way to help your body move naturally again and improve your digestive health.<\/p>\n
If you’re struggling with constipation that doesn\u2019t respond to conventional methods, our clinic is here to help. We can work together to find a hands-on, respectful, and personalized way to ease your pain and restore rhythm to your digestive system.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Chronic Constipation: How Visceral Osteopathy Can Help Restore Natural Rhythm Constipation is a common digestive complaint,\u00a0and constipation is one of the most common. Many people ignore it or treat it with laxatives. But when it lasts for a long time, it can have a big effect on daily comfort, digestion, mood, and even posture. In […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":984,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-983","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-posts"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/urgent-osteo.ca\/vancouver\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/983","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/urgent-osteo.ca\/vancouver\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/urgent-osteo.ca\/vancouver\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/urgent-osteo.ca\/vancouver\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/urgent-osteo.ca\/vancouver\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=983"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/urgent-osteo.ca\/vancouver\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/983\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1139,"href":"https:\/\/urgent-osteo.ca\/vancouver\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/983\/revisions\/1139"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/urgent-osteo.ca\/vancouver\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/984"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/urgent-osteo.ca\/vancouver\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=983"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/urgent-osteo.ca\/vancouver\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=983"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/urgent-osteo.ca\/vancouver\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=983"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}