Hi Jennifer,
A well-trained massage therapist will use warm oil on the tummy area, if not all over. This person does not apply pressure on the abdomen the same way he/she applies pressure on other muscular parts of the body that have tight knots.
I've often brought my own massage oil along pre-warmed and wrapped in a hot pack if the therapist doesn't use warm oil. K-Mart has a great massage oil that is reasonably priced and in my opinion is even better than expensive massage oils. My previous massage therapist in the Bay Area used to stow her massage oil in a small crock pot of warm water, keeping the pot on low so that the oil remained warm throughout all of her sessions for the day.
When massaging your own tummy at home with warm oil, work from up your right side (ascending colon), across the middle, and then downward on the left side (descending colon), with gentle slow strokes. You can increase the pressure after a few rounds of gentle touch, for a few more rounds. If you can't tolerate more pressure, then stop.
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Senior female, IBS-D, presently stable thanks to Heather & Staff
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