How to massage your stomach
It's natural to rub your abdomen when you have a stomach ache and any form of abdominal massage, however basic, is extremely comforting.
Although you can massage your abdomen while sitting up, it is much more relaxing if you lie down. Lie somewhere comfortable, with a small pillow under your knees so that both your back and abdomen are relaxed.
Always use a clockwise motion when massaging the abdomen as this follows the workings of the intestine; this can help to relax the abdomen, which, in turn, can aid digestion.
Use the photos provided to help you learn how to perform self massage. Click on the photos to enlarge them.
1: Stroke
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one hand after the other around your abdomen in a clockwise direction, lifting one hand over the other in a continuous flow. Increase the size of the circle to cover the whole area, then gradually make it smaller again.
2: Apply static and circular pressures all around the abdomen,
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following the outline that you traced with your strokes in step one. Use one hand on top of the other, or the palm of just one hand, depending on how much pressure you want to apply.
3: Bend your knees over to your left and knead the right
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side of your abdomen with the fingers and thumbs of alternate hands. Rhythmically pick up and release the flesh wherever you can, then bend your knees to the right and knead the left side.