6.11 – Abdominal massage

Abdominal massage can help people with chronic constipation to evacuate their bowel.

It is a non-invasive technique, which works by stimulating peristalsis and decreasing transit time through the colon, thus bowel movements increase in frequency.

Receiving abdominal massage can be comforting and can help with relaxation, reduce pain and improve quality of life.

It is an important skill to learn and is safe to use in adults with constipation, including those with neurological conditions affecting the bowel, such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s and stroke.

The following video demonstrates how to do abdominal massage (available on Glasgow Caledonian University’s YouTube channel)^[1]:

This is an additional video, hosted on YouTube.

Many patients can be taught how to use the abdominal massage techniques so that they can self-manage their constipation, reduce discomfort and use fewer laxatives. The following video demonstrates a person performing self-massage (available on Glasgow Caledonian University’s YouTube channel)^[2]:

This is an additional video, hosted on YouTube.

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References

_{1. AMBER study: carer massage. Glasgow Caledonian University’s YouTube channel. [19 June 2017, cited 4 October 2018]. Available from: https://youtu.be/B8MzbOpMZeI}

^{2. AMBER study: self massage. Glasgow Caledonian University’s YouTube channel. [19 June 2017, cited 4 October 2018]. Available from: https://youtu.be/ee3o8Es6sPc}