What Are the Benefits of Abdominal Massage?

If you often have that "knot in the gut" feeling that is associated with stress an anxiety, abdominal massage may help to relieve some of your uncomfortable symptoms. According to health experts at Mayo Clinic, massage has many healthful benefits, including helping you to unwind. Learning the proper techniques for self-applied stomach massage can alleviate gas and digestive issues, as well as strengthen underlying muscle tissue.

Massage your stomach discomfort away with gentle, circular strokes. (Image: Thinkstock/Stockbyte/Getty Images)

Improved Digestion

With a gentle light pressure, massage your stomach using clockwise circular strokes in the morning or evening while lying in bed to stimulate blood flow and improve digestion. Before you begin your massage, you should empty your bladder. As you massage your stomach, not only will you stimulate your digestive system, but you can aid your colon in moving waste through your system to allieviate issues with constipation.

Alleviate Stress Related Issues

Anxiety and stress can often lead to that feeling of having a "knot" in the stomach. Along with that uneasy feeling, many times you can experience abdominal aches accompanied by gas and pain. The soothing effect of stomach massage can help to alleviate these painful symptoms, as well as decrease the overall feeling of stress by helping you enter a state of relaxation.

Stimulate Internal Organs

Abdominal massage also stimulates your internal organs, including your gall bladder and liver. Increased blood and oxygen flow may help to improve organ function. In the case of your gall bladder and liver, improved function means more efficient release and removal of waste products. Improved blood circulation benefits the blood vessels of the entire abdominal cavity.

Additional Benefits

In addition to alleviated abdominal distress issues, stomach massage may also strengthen weak and relaxed abdominal muscles. Applied pressure with gentle circular motion can also release deep muscle spasms, promote internal heat and break down adhesions or scar tissue.