Perineal massage relieves constipation

Luise Heine has been an editor at since 2012. The qualified biologist studied in Regensburg and Brisbane (Australia) and gained experience as a journalist in television, in the Ratgeber-Verlag and in a print magazine. In addition to her work at , she also writes for children, for example for the Stuttgarter Kinderzeitung, and has her own breakfast blog, “Kuchen zum Frühstück”.

More posts by Luise Heine All content is checked by medical journalists.

MunichNothing works anymore - if the digestion goes on strike, it is extremely uncomfortable. A simple trick is to ensure relaxation and successful bowel movements: gentle pressure on the perineum.

Hard bowel movements are an obstacle course for many. Some then like to resort to laxatives to get rid of the problem. A simple move could also solve the blockage - at least that is the result of a study by the University of California. Dr. Ryan Abbott and his colleagues recruited 100 constipated patients. That is, less than three times a week they had bowel movements that required them to press hard, with some very hard stools.

Massage if there is an urge to defecate

All subjects were told how constipation would normally be treated, for example by getting more exercise or adding fiber to the diet. The researchers then showed an explanatory video to half of the participants. It explained how to use specific acupressure whenever you felt the need to empty your bowels.

The following had to be taken into account: The test persons should first urinate completely and then press the perineum with their middle and index fingers, towards the back. The dam is located in the region between the anus and the external genital organs. If the test subjects could feel the stool through the tissue, they should give gentle shock impulses. Participants were encouraged to perform this massage over a period of four weeks.

72 percent improvement

On average, patients used this technique three to four times a week - with great success. 72 percent reported that this helped them get rid of the poop more easily. According to Abbott and Co., the method is also suitable for the prevention of enlarged hemorrhoids. These can arise from the unsuccessful pressing in the event of persistent constipation. Here acupressure caused 54 percent of the test subjects to feel that hemorrhoids could be prevented or existing ones would be alleviated. Four out of five were so convinced of the method that they wanted to continue using it.

Relaxed sphincters

“The pressure on the dam breaks up hard stools,” Abbott explained to about the pressure massage mechanism. At the same time, acupressure causes the sphincter muscles to relax at this point. In addition, nerves of the parasympathetic system would be stimulated. These are responsible for controlling the intestines. “The stimulation of the dam could possibly even prevent blockages,” the researcher speculates. However, this was not the subject of their investigation.

Although the number of subjects was relatively small at 100, the researchers are convinced of the effectiveness of this form of acupressure. "Patients can easily perform this intervention to self-medicate," says Abbott, describing the great advantage of perineal massage. In addition, it would have no side effects. The perineum massage also offers people an additional treatment option who may not respond so well to common methods.

Women are constipated twice as often

Although the cause of constipation is usually harmless, it can seriously affect the quality of life. Those affected report a feeling of fullness, bloated stomach and pain when defecating because the stool is often particularly hard. Constipation is not uncommon. In fact, they become more common with increasing age. People over 60 years of age in particular often suffer from it. Digestive problems are about twice as common in women as they are in men.

Source: Abbott R. et al. Effect of Perineal Self-Acupressure on Constipation: A Randomized Controlled Trial; Journal of General Internal Medicine; April 2015, Volume 30, Issue 4, pp 434-439

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