Relieve Bloating and Pressure Now

Learn how to relieve bloating and pressure now.  This simple technique, used daily, can support healthy digestion, regularity, and a flat stomach.  

One of the most common digestive issues is bloating, pressure, and gas. Most of our digestive system distress comes from the type of foods we eat and the amounts that we eat them in. 

And adjusting your diet by eliminating trigger foods, processed foods, and extra greasy/fatty/sugary foods is definitely the first step to relief. 

Elimination Diets

If you are experiencing frequent symptoms, start with a simple elimination diet to find out if you have any food intolerance or sensitivities. But if you’re already eating a relatively healthy diet and still experiencing bloating and pressure there are still a few things you can do outside of the specific foods you are eating.

relieve bloating and pressure now

One thing that people notice, when incorporating more fruits and vegetables into their diet, is bloating. Most of the time, it can be attributed to the higher concentration of fiber in those healthy fruits and veg. 

causes of constipation

And after a few weeks the body develops the enzymes necessary to start breaking down those healthy plants. Adding a digestive enzyme could help speed up this process.

Probiotics and fermented foods also improve gut health and thereby eliminate digestive distress. Starting probiotics may increase bloating and gas, but after your body adjusts and re-calibrates your microbiome, you may experience great relief. You can learn more about gut health in our post here.

Sometimes, it can even be helpful to steam certain vegetables before consuming as it helps break down those compounds and pre-digest them if you will. But if all of these issues still don’t help, don’t worry! 

Relieve Boating and Pressure

You can still find quick relief, no matter where you are. Ancient Chinese Stomach Massage (Chi Nei Tsang): believes that our traumas are held in our digestive system, and if left there are the cause of disease and illness. They create this method to release those traumas and free up the internal organs to function properly.

Science has not been able to prove this is the case, but is has shown some serious benefits to stomach massage. The biggest is obviously improving digestive function and relieving acute digestive distress. The motions, pressure, and direction help get everything moving (which is a good thing).

Doing it regularly can improve bloating, decrease constipation, reduce abdominal circumference and improve general digestive issues as shown in this study

Anything that keeps our digestion moving and promotes successful daily eliminations is going to support our gut health. Keeping these muscles relaxed means that your entire digestive tract is relaxed.  

And it gets to perform its job in optimal conditions, instead of being stressed and stationary due to tense muscles. This also boosts your immune system since we know that the majority of our immune-cells are actually located in our gut.

relieve bloating and pressure now

I also highly recommend this technique for Pre-Menstrual symptoms and cramps. Constipation, water-retention, muscle cramps, and digestive sensitivity are usual PMS symptoms, and can all benefit from stomach massage, specifically focusing on the lower abdomen.

Stomach Massage

Less gas pressure and bloating means you will have better posture. Most of us tend to hunch or curl our abdomen in when we are suffering from gas. It is well known to relief the tense pressure caused by the gas. When we are no longer bloated, our posture improves dramatically.

Also a great way to de-stress your body and mind. I’ve always heard people carry their stress in either their back or their stomach. And it makes sense. 

We either see people with bad backs, or suffering from significant digestive disorders like all the variations of IBS. But using this technique can relieve the chronic stress that you hold in the stomach muscles surrounding your digestive system.

I recommend using this technique for ten minutes each morning and then again in the evening before bed. Making this a daily habits keeps your bowel movements regular and predictable.

But you can also use it as a spot treatment when you are experiencing acute bloating and pressure. Try to keep each session to about ten minutes then get up and moving to keep those muscles relaxed and promote faster relief

Also, make sure to have an empty bladder and avoid using this technique immediately after eating or when you have a stomach full of food or liquids. 

And as always, please consult your doctor before implementing any of these suggestions or recommendations.  Do not use this technique if you are pregnant, or have any existing or potential abdominal issues.

Start:

Lay comfortably on your back. I find that I sometimes prefer to have my knees bent or straight depending on my comfort level. Either way is fine.

Step 1:

Using either the heel of your had or a small solid round object.  Think something under a 7” diameter, tennis balls are great, softballs are better (size-wise)and there are even a few products specifically for this use. I highly recommend the Maria Kang belly ball, (shown above) as it is perfect size, fill-able with warm water, and created for travel.  Start pressing lightly on your abdomen, rotating in a clockwise direction. 

Starting directly under your sternum, between your ribs, move along the rib cage applying consistent but moderate pressure. Follow the circle around your abdomen dropping low below your belly bottom and circling back up following along your rib cage to the starting point.

Step 2:

Make the large circles with increasing pressure several times. As you start to move around the circle again notice any tender, sensitive, or firm spots. Once you locate one, make small, firm, but gentle circles on that area. 

Make sure to make only a few isolated circles, before continuing on in the larger circle. Do not press too hard or over do it in the sensitive areas as you could cause more stress to that area. Just a firm touch is all that’s needed.

Step 3:

Continue around the circle several more times, looking for isolation spots to focus on. You may start to feel movement along your digestive tract, which is a good sign! That means you’re getting everything moving and relief is imminent.

Step 4:

I also like to focus on the sides of the circle. Gently roll the ball or the heel of your hand around the arcs of your ribs down to the top of your hip bones. Follow the arcs a few times with increasing pressure.

Step 5:

You can also use the ball or your hand to start directly underneath your sternum and move straight down your abdomen vertically to your pubic bone. You can repeat this downward motion several times.

As always, be sure to consult your doctor prior to utilizing these suggestions.  But I think that stomach massage can be a simple and easy way to help relieve bloating and keep your stomach flat.