I've been told that the ileostomy area can be massaged to help with pain but I was wondering if there was a specific way that this should be done. I know this is probably considered a pretty goofy question but if I could ease the pain I am experiencing through massage, I wouldn't have to use the pain pills that I have to use to ease it to a livable level. I don't want to get hooked on them and would rather use a more natural method. I have essential oils that I have been using as my friend gave me a recipe for a pain relief blend and it has helped a little. If you have any instructions on the right way to do this can you please let me know?? Thank you and please don't laugh, I know it is kind of a dumb question but it is important to me.
Hello freedancer.
Your question is not daft at all and I feel sure that there will be a few people who have experiemented with massage to help alleviate the sort of pain you describe in your other posts.
Personally, I do not think that there are any specifically proscribed methods of massage that work any better than others and it will probably be a matter of trial and error until you find the best way for you.
I my case, I used to massage in a sort of pushing movement, as if to help the passage of faeces on its way. It did not work as well as a gentle circular movement or a two-handed pushing from the sides to the middle of my tummy area. However, one day I was experimenting with massaging where there was no pain, just above my groin and with no real logical explanation, I passed an enormous amount of wind and the pain vanished. To this day I cannot give an explanation for why it did this when the massaging was nowhere near the painful area but it has worked several times since. Thus, I would say that it might pay to simply experiement with the massaging until you find something that works for you.
Given that there did not seem any logic to my own problem and solution, I sometimes wondered whether an alternative approach - like acupuncture might be just as effective as all the stuff I tried and failed with.
Just a thought
Best wishes
Bill
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When you think about it, the massage in the alternate area does make a bit of sense. There's an awful lot of intestine stuffed into the entire abdominal area. Most pain and cramping I have experienced usually felt like gas pains. Any kind of massage which gets ANY part of the intestine moving along and subsequently pushing the gas bubble(s) eventually OUT is going to relieve pain from gas and bloating. After my surgery, I started taking a probiotic EVERY DAY. After about a month I noticed that I had less gas no matter what I was eating, and a whole lot less gas pain/cramping. I can't swear that was the exact cause, but I am certainly not getting off them any time soon! Notice that it took a while to notice the difference - this is not something that works instantly.
Learn about some basic diet and ostomy pouch routines that can help prevent them.