Practical Potty: A guided meditation for constipation relief
This short 10 minute video offers a free guided meditation to help you find relief from constipation.
This guided meditation can help with constipation that may be driven by 3 factors:
- Dehydration
- Lack of fiber
- Pelvic floor tension
If you aren’t getting adequate hydration, fiber, and physical activity, the meditation won’t likely get rid of constipation. However, the meditation can still help with pain, anxiety, and stress management.
Note: In the video I do make mention of how to address hydration and fiber. But please see the recommendations below.
The recommendations for fiber intake are found here and are listed below.
The USDA’s recommended daily amount for fiber intake for adults up to age 50 is 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men. Women and men older than 50 should have 21 and 30 daily grams, respectively.
Harvard medical school
The recommendation for hydration is approximately half of your body weight (pounds) in ounces. So if I weigh 120 pounds I want to consume about 60 ounces of water or other non-caffeinated, non-alcoholic beverages daily.
There are other factors which can create the perfect storm for constipation, like:
- Being post-op (pain medications and anesthesia used during surgery can contribute to constipation)
- Lack of movement or physical activity in general
- Scar tissue or other adhesions
- Medications – which include the following:
- NSAIDS (non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like Motrin, Aleve, Advil)
- Antihistamines (Benadryl, Zyrtec)
- Tricyclic Antdepressants (Elavil, Pamela)
- Urinary incontinence drugs (Ditropan, Detrol)
- Iron supplements
- Opioid drugs (Vicodin, Norco, Tylenol with codeine, Dilaudid)
- Blood pressure medications (Diltiazem, Verapamil, Atenolol or drugs ending in “ol”
- Nausea meds (Zofran)
Other pelvic physical therapy treatments which can help include:
- Pelvic manual therapy
- Visceral manual therapy & abdominal massage to address intestinal motility, scarring or adhesions affecting digestion
- Therapeutic exercise & physical activity prescription
- Lifestyle medicine such as improving sleep or nutrition
- Integrative medicine to improve stress management and pain
When to should seek medical care
You never want to ignore serious signs of constipation. The Mayo Clinic provides these recommendations for when to seek medical care if you have chronic or acute constipation:
See a doctor immediately if you:
- Have severe, persistent abdominal pain and bloating
- Can’t pass stool (could be an anal fissure, fecal compaction, or bowel obstruction requiring medical attention)
Make an appointment to see a doctor if you:
- Have fewer than three bowel movements a week
- Continually strain to pass stool
- Bleed from your rectum
Make an appointment to see a pelvic PT if you:
- Have pelvic pain, hip, or back pain
- Are leaking urine or feces
- Struggle with chronic constipation and have ruled out the urgent issues listed above
- Have pain associated with sexual function
Find a pelvic PT in your area here:
Potty Meditation
Now you are ready! Good luck and happy meditating!
PS HERE ARE 3 MORE WAYS I CAN HELP YOU!
1. Free Phone Consult – Not sure if your yoga practice is on target? I offer free phone consults on a weekly basis to see how I can best help.
2. Take courses with me at Living Well Institute and Yoga U Online!
3. Take advantage of the Free Medical Therapeutic Yoga Basic Video Library.
Sources
DISCLAIMER: This and all other instructional videos/audios are for educational purposes only. They do not constitute physical therapy or a patient-provider relationship. User assumes risk in performing this or any video or audio. Finally, you should get the approval of your healthcare provider before doing this or any instructional movement or meditation video.
