Quick Heartburn Massage: 5-Minute Relief for Indigestion
When you get indigestion, medication or a walk around the block may help you feel better, but there’s something else you can try. Self-massage is a relatively simple technique that could also relieve heartburn.
Many things can cause heartburn or indigestion, says Shirlene Reid, RD, the Missouri-based lead dietitian at Understood Nutrition, such as food intolerances, carbonated beverages, and even the way you sleep. Chronic heartburn could come from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which happens when stomach acid creeps into your esophagus and causes a burning sensation.
Start With Deep Breathing
To do this, place one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach, says Reid. Then, take deep breaths counting in for four and out for four. Repeat this breathing pattern for 5 to 10 breaths to activate your parasympathetic nervous system, which kicks your digestion into high gear and can reduce discomfort. By involving your diaphragm, deep breathing also massages your abdomen from the inside.
Add Abdominal Massage
Imagine that your stomach is a clock, and your belly button is noon, says Elizabeth Trattner, an acupuncturist and integrative and lifestyle medicine–trained practitioner in Miami. She recommends using your hand or three fingers to slowly rub your stomach in a clockwise circle, starting at your belly button. Continue with the deep breathing. This is a traditional Chinese medicine approach intended to increase blood flow to the area to facilitate digestion and reduce your symptoms.
Try to Induce a Bowel Movement
Trattner says to start by lying down on your back with a pillow supporting your head. Bring your knees up, but keep your feet flat on a bed or sofa. Begin massaging your lower left abdomen and use your hands and the tips of your fingers as if they are gently scooping upward from the lower left. Then slowly massage in a diagonal line across your belly below your belly button. This is the path that your stool takes through your body.
“Be gentle, don’t push, and use pressure as though you’re working with clay. There are times you can feel impacted stool or feel the noise of your large intestine,” says Trattner. “Another great way to deal with heartburn is to lie on your right side, preferably after your massage,” she says. “Your stomach empties via the right side of your body and [this position] will help with gastric movement and emptying.”
These experts stress that it’s important to move slowly and gently when trying a heartburn massage. If you’re dealing with indigestion during pregnancy, you may have to modify the massage, or avoid it altogether and try other relief methods.
The Takeaway
- The mainstay of conventional heartburn management is medication and changes in lifestyle.
- Complementary approaches may also include deep breathing.
- Self-massage from the Chinese medicine tradition may increase blood flow to your gut and can keep your digestive system moving.
- If you have heartburn twice a week or more, it’s generally best to get evaluated by your doctor.
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