Elderly people often suffer from constipation, which is mostly functional unless caused by organic diseases such as tumors. The main reason is the decreased gastrointestinal motility and reduced rectal tone in the elderly, resulting in prolonged retention of feces in the intestines. Excessive absorption of water leads to hardened stool that is difficult to eliminate. Therefore, adopting the above-mentioned massage methods can often achieve significant results.
Massage the acupoints such as Guanyuan (located 3 inches below the navel), Zhongwan (located 4 inches above the navel), Tianshu (located 2 inches beside the navel), and Daheng (located 3.5 inches beside the navel) with the middle three fingers. Massage can be performed lying down or sitting upright in the morning, afternoon, and evening. Stop massaging when there is a slight warmth sensation at the acupoints. Massaging the above-mentioned acupoints can penetrate heat into the abdomen, promote secretion of digestive glands, enhance gastrointestinal motility and rectal tone, shorten the time of fecal retention in the intestines, and accelerate the elimination of feces, thus achieving the goal of preventing and treating constipation.
