Our Gut

I think most of us understand that our gut aids in digesting of food. But it does soooo much more!! Our gut is known as our second brain. Not only does it digest, break down food but it affects our emotions, and pretty much all health and wellness begins in the gut. Scientist are shocked to learn that 90% of the fibers in the visceral nerve, the Vagus carry information to the brain, not from the brain, to the gut. 95% of the body’s serotonin comes from the gut. When people take medication to affect serotonin, a normal side effect is a gut problem. When your gut is not functioning at the level that it is supposed to, and you start having bowel issues, most people will notice that they start having allergies, moodiness or so many other issues.

Let me explain a little bit about how this works. There are a few different reasons why your gut does not function the way that it is supposed to.

1. The foods that we intake have a HUGE impact on how our body works. When we are putting in a lot of processed foods and unhealthy oils, our cells start malfunctioning and making more cells that do not work adequately. The cells are trying to take in nutrients from the food and will have to start learning how to function with the inadequate foods that are put in it, which start breaking down cell functioning, and can cause problems with leaky gut.

2. Fascia- fascia is connective tissue that holds our body together and helps our muscles. When you bend over for a little bit and you get back up the stretchy, painful feeling that you have is because the fascia laid over the muscle to help hold that muscle in place while you were in that incorrect position. Then, when you got back up, it was tearing off the muscle. The same is thing happens in your shoulders. We try to hold our shoulders high like we can take on the world so the fascia builds up over those muscles and creates “knots,” but those are harder to break apart. Well, the same is true for our gut. Every time we bend over, sit down, have babies, the fascia starts building up around organs (Intestines, ovaries, fallopian tubes, bladder, stomach, etc) in our gut and starts putting kinks in them. As we get older, you often hear doctors tell patients that they need to have more fiber to use the bathroom. Well, this can help it push things through the kinks, but it is only a band aid; it does not fix the problem. Or people, especially woman, start having problems holding in their bladder (Example: Coughing, sneezing, exercising and leaking). People struggle with indigestion, endometriosis, frequent miscarriages or IBS (these are just to name a few of the issues, just in the gut. Think, if things are not flowing the way they are supposed to your gut is leaky and/or stuck then it starts affecting other organs as well. Your liver is one of the next areas. When your gut is full, then your liver starts backing up. Your lymph system grabs toxins from your body, and it takes it out of your body through sweat or urine, but it normally has to go through the liver. If your liver is backed up, then your lymph system backs up and it backs up into other organs and muscles. Your body starts seeing your organs as toxic, so then your body starts attacking it because the organs are full of toxins. (autoimmune diseases). Your face fills up, and you start having allergy issues. As we learned earlier, a lot of your emotions are stemmed from your gut, so you become more irritable, tearful, depressed or have anxiety issues. Well of course, think of how you feel when you normally are sick. At this time, your whole body is sick it is stuffed full and it is not releasing.

I am sure right now you are thinking, “Great! Well what can I do about all of this?” It seems so helpless. Yes, maybe I can change my diet or even I am eating amazingly, and I still am having these issues. How can I get rid of this fascia so everything will flow like it is supposed to.

VISCERAL MASSAGE. Visceral (abdominal) massage helps break up the fascia in your abdominal cavity. Puts intestinal track back in place, brings down stomach, pops up the bladder, brings blood flow to the uterus, so the lining thickens, puts ovaries back in place to help with cyst and hormone flow. You may be taking all the meds or the supplements to help with movement, which definitely helps, but it does not fix the issue.
Dawn that sounds scary: someone pushing around on my organs; is it safe? Does it hurt? Is it an internal or external massage? All of these are great questions. Visceral massage helps break fascia and scar tissue from the abdominal cavity. It is very safe!! I have been a licensed Massage Therapist for 10 years and have spent all of those years researching, growing and learning more about the body and how it functions. Helping aid 1000s of people with all sorts of ailments from allergies, infertility, auto immune diseases, even cancer.

WHAT TO EXPECT DURING THE MASSAGE: This is an external massage done on the abdominal cavity. Normally, this massage is once a week for 4 weeks. We focus on different quadrants of the gut each time that you come in. Some people do not have as many issues and it may not even take 4 weeks, but some may have major issues and may take longer. But normally it is 4. When you come in you will undress and the table warmer will be placed on high. You will see a rag on the table which has castor oil on it. This rag will be placed on your abdominal cavity as you are face down. I will then give you a 30 min Swedish massage on your back as the oil is warming and entering your skin. This is so that when I turn you over it is easier to move things around with a lot less discomfort. When I flip you over, I start loosening muscles and checking for adhesions and issues. I will, normally, start where bowels exit first. And work my way around. Some people feel the first session to be a little uncomfortable either because of tight muscles or a lot of adipose. We can go as slowly and easy as we need to even adding cupping to help loosen the muscles or use oils to help you relax. Some people do not have any issues at all with it and even fall asleep during the massage. Each person is completely different. On normal cases I will work 30 minutes on the gut.

WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER THE MASSAGE:
Most people have amazing bowel movements after the first
massage, but sometimes people can have what is called “dirty bowel syndrome,” which is feces stuck on the lining of the bowel walls, and when I go around, once in awhile, it can create constipation. During the massage, I will go over what to do incase this does happen. Some people have more energy and feel amazing afterwards because finally lymph and toxins are moving out of the body. Some people feel nauseated afterwards because all the toxins are moving to the stomach. Some people notice no difference after their first massage. Everyone is so different, so we will have open communication. I will give you a way to contact me directly, so that if something happens that you are not sure of, you can contact me and we can discuss it.

WHAT DO I DO AFTER THE ABDOMINAL MASSAGE?: I highly recommend after we are finished breaking up everything and putting everything back in place, we do a lymphatic drainage massage, to help move all the toxins that have been stuck for so long out of the body. And get the lymph moving. Normally, if we are able to move everything in the gut we are able to do it in 1 or 2 sessions. I suggest people to come in 3 to 6 months (depending on the circumstance) for a detox massage. Fascia happens because of our normal movements. I do not expect you to stop functioning, so fascia will build up again. The next massage is 90 min long where we do one abdominal (just to break up whatever you did in that time) and a lymphatic drainage massage.

Here at New Beginnings Medical Massage, we offer Abdominal massage. If you have any more questions or would like to have a consultation to even see if this is an issue, or would like to go ahead and book one you can contact us at 281-786-5289 or visit htxwell.com.