Your Intestines

(A Brief Overview)

The focus for us today is your Stomach, your Small Intestine, and your Large Intestine. There are other bits and parts involved, but we'll leave that for another day. The reason we review the intestines is so that you have a general idea of what's going on deep inside - you don't need to know everything, but the more you are exposed to anatomy the easier it will be over time to pick things up.

For the self-care tips in the following sections I will continuously stress going light or moderate with your pressure - leave deep pressure to a qualified therapist, especially in "high density" areas, like your abdominal region. So, without further ado, let's talk about the first stop on your digestive journey - the stomach!

Stomach

Stomach

The Stomach is the first stop for your favorite meals, drinks, stomach acid! The acid inside here is what helps break down foodstuffs (after your teeth have had a go) so that you can get the nutrients from it. Often people talk about their stomach as being somewhere over the belly-button, this isn't true! Your stomach is higher up - try placing the palm of your hand over the bottom of your sternum (sometimes called the breast-bone). This is the area your stomach is actually in.

Small Intestine

Duodenum

The Small Intestine is a series of long tubes starting just below the stomach (with a tube called the Duodenum - above highlighted) - this tube has four sections and feeds into the rest of the small intestine, first stop, the Jejunum.

Jejunum

The Jejunum is a continuation of the duodenum, and ends in the ileum (the final section of the intestines). These tissues are held against the posterior (back) abdominal wall through means of connective tissue (here, called mesentery). This section of the small intestine is heavily involved in food digestion and absorption and empties itself into the third and final section of the small intestine, the Ileum.

Ileum

The Ileum is the third and final portion of the small intestine, taking the contents from the Jejunum. The primary function of the Ileum is to absorb electrolytes, water, vitamins, fatty acids, and any bile salts not absorbed by the previous sections. To a very small degree this area is involved with digestion of proteins and carbohydrates. Nutrients collected here are transported to the Liver by a blood-capillary network (small blood vessels) to help clean and process before circulating the blood elsewhere. From here, the small intestine feeds into the Large Intestine.

Large Intestine

Cecum

The Cecum is the first section of the Large Intestine, connecting to the final portion of the small intestine it receives contents and continues them forward into the Ascending Colon. Attached to this area is your appendix as well. The role of the Cecum is to collect chyme (the pulpy acidic fluid that passes from the stomach to the small intestine) and mix it with more mucous. Deep muscle contractions help move contents along to the next section.

Ascending Colon

The Ascending Colon continues upward (hence the name Ascending) connecting into the Transverse Colon. The main role of the Ascending Colon is the absorption of water - though to some degree it does still absorb nutrients.

Transverse Colon

The Transverse Colon runs across the top-section of your intestines, just under the stomach. This area is concerned with the continued absorption of water and nutrients, as well as moving fecal matter towards the "end of the line" so to speak - your butt! Before this happens there's a final stop - The Descending Colon.

Descending Colon

The Descending Colon is the final stop for most collection of nutrients and water. This section is located more posterior (behind) the small intestine (removed in the above image). After the contents reach the end of the Descending Colon they continue into the Sigmoid Colon and finally into the Rectum.

Self-Care for Abdominals

So, why the review on intestines and poo? Well, it's going to help those of you who may experience intestinal distress and can help you better understand what you will be feeling as we continue into the next sections (exploring the muscles of the abdominal region). If you are aware of what you may experience you are less likely to be afraid of the sensations - fear is huge. If it's something new, and you aren't sure what is causing it always ask - more often than not what you feel is normal.

We all make weird sounds - that's OK. Feel free to follow along with the below text, audio, or video demonstration. This is a great way to start your anatomy journey and will kickstart your brain to learn more!

Following along with the previous sections information we will now go over a body exploration exercise. You will be lightly laying your hand on your abdomen, but starting with just over the stomach.

Body Exploration Exercise

Lightly place one hand over your stomach - the easiest way of doing this is to have your thumb laying over the lower-portion of your sternum (or breastbone). I suggest using your right hand for this so that the fingers lay over the left lower-ribs, and over the stomach.

Take some time here to just rest your hand and breathe - take note if you feel anything, movement or sounds. Feel free to engage the skin by slowly moving your hand in a circle - keeping it on your body and not moving it away. Over time it will be important to develop your sense of timing as we often think things may take longer or shorter than they really do.

After a while let your hand slide down,moving your fingertips toward your midline. You've (roughly) reached the area over your small intestine - The Duodenum. From here, move slowly down further and begin to explore the area called your Jejunum. you may not feel much - and that's OK, these structures are deep! Again, allow time for yourself to move around, engaging the skin with your hand. Take in what you feel.

Move your hand down again, so that it's over your bellybutton - and sink it further down towards your hips. Refer to the above images as needed, but again slowly move your hand over the skin - taking in what you feel.

Finally, and this is the part important to those who may experience intestinal distress, from your bellybutton move your hand to the right side of your abdomen until you can find the top of your Ilium (hip). From here, move toward the belly-button slightly and start slowly working with the skin in an upwards fashion to the rib. Once at the rib, move across the abdomen now to the other side. Doing this, you are following your Transverse Colon. Once at the other side (the left) slowly move downward towards the left hip.

If you are experiencing intestinal distress a light self-massage following the direction of the large intestine (from right hip up to transverse colon, across to descending, down to left hip) can help calm things down or, in some cases, move things along. If you are experiencing chronic constipation and have not contacted your doctor do so - intestinal issues are huge players in movement and pain!

You may be recommended manual therapy (a properly trained physiotherapist or massage therapist should be able to provide massage for constipation).

For those NOT constipated, this exercise is really good to perform and get a better understanding about what is going on inside (at least, what feelings and sounds are normal). Remember to take into account if you've eaten recently or not!

Over the next week your goal is to get familiar with two things:

1. Self-Touch
2. How things sound/feel at different times (so do this throughout the day, before and after eating)

I recommend setting aside five to ten minutes a day to do this activity.