Can poor posture cause constipation? This question has lingered in the hearts of many and my desire is to bring you the proper answer.
The effects of poor posture are reflected not only in your appearance but also in your general well-being. The way you behave has a significant impact on your body, mentally and physically. When you incorporate poor posture into your daily routine, you are causing your body to malfunction. What is unfortunate is that most people with poor posture do not know how it can affect their health.
This guide will try to answer the question: can poor posture cause constipation? But first…
What is Constipation?
Constipation is one of the most common digestive problems in the United States, affecting an estimated 2.5 million people.
Constipation occurs when bowel movements become less frequent and difficult to pass stools. It occurs more frequently due to changes in diet or routine, or due to insufficient fiber intake.
Chronic constipation is generally described as having less than three bowel movements per week.
Signs and symptoms of constipation include passing less than three stools per week, having hard stools, the feeling that there is an obstruction in the rectum that prevents stool. Another sign is when you cannot empty the stool from your rectum.
Constipation can be considered chronic if you have had at least two of these symptoms in the past three months.
Now that we have seen little about constipation, let us now consider the question “can poor posture cause constipation?”
Can Poor Posture Cause Constipation?
Yes, poor posture can cause constipation. In addition to the effects on physical appearance, poor posture can also cause constipation.
Poor posture in the gym can lead to injury and even have a long-term impact on your health. It can also have an impact on how your body looks, which means that the hours you work out in the gym can never give the body you want. Research has shown that poor posture can also cause constipation and exacerbate stress or depression.
The more you are bent, the more your internal organs will be compressed, including the gastrointestinal tract. This constriction of the abdomen can cause symptoms of gastrointestinal upset and even acid reflux, “says Dr. Joseph Gjolaj, an orthopedic surgeon and spine specialist at the University of Miami Health System.
An older woman, who has had stomach problems throughout her life, went to Dr. Gjolaj for scoliosis correction surgery. She had seen several doctors for symptoms of acid reflux, as well as intermittent bouts of constipation and diarrhea.
“When I met with her for an operation, she was on four different gastrointestinal medications,” he says. “A month after the surgery, she found out that her gastrointestinal symptoms were no more, and after consulting her gastrointestinal specialist, she was able to stop all of her gastrointestinal medication and show no symptoms. The improvement in her long-standing gastrointestinal symptoms was a pleasant and unexpected surprise after scoliosis surgery,” said Dr. Joseph Gjolj.
This example is proof that poor posture can affect constipation.
To buttress my point and give more clarifying answers to the question: can poor posture cause constipation? Let us consider another example.
A study by the United States National Library of Medicine on the influence of body posture on the transit of intestinal gases has agreed that this is really true. The objective of the study was to determine whether the posture of the body lying down or vertical has an effect on the transit of intestinal gases.
This study was conducted in eight healthy subjects who had no gastrointestinal symptoms. For each of the subjects, a gas mixture was infused into the jejunum for approximately three hours. Subsequently, the abdominal circumference, the perception and the elimination of the nonabsorbable gas marker were recorded. Then, pair studies were performed on each subject on different days in the supine and upright position.
The results of the study indicated that when lying down, intestinal gas retention was much higher (146 (75) ml) than in the vertical position (13 (52) ml). Note that this gas provocation was tolerated in the supine position and an upright position without abdominal distension.
Study patients describe that body posture can affect flatulence, abdominal bloating, and distension. However, the possibility of poor posture effects on stomach pain or poor posture fatigue has not been fully studied (but we have articles that explicitly talk about these topics). From the study, it can be concluded that body posture has a significant effect on propulsion. It is also obvious that the transit is faster in the vertical position than when you are lying down position.
Furthermore, “people with bad posture in the lower back can also have pelvic floor dysfunction. This could lead to urinary retention problems, pain during intercourse or constipation, ”says Dr. Carneiro.
In addition, the vagus nerve stimulates the production of hydrochloric acid, which affects how we break down food in the stomach, so if this is also affected by our poor posture due to slouching and bending over, food can stay in the digestive tract too long, causing unpleasant symptoms like gases. , bloating and constipation.
Lastly, poor posture on the toilet! Hunching over with the knees lower than the hips can promote constipation. “This position closes the anus a bit and makes it difficult for the abdominal muscles to help remove the stool,” says Markowski.
Conclusion and Recommendation
So now that I have answered the question: can poor posture cause constipation? What should your response be?
Constantly monitor your posture and correct it immediately you notice that you are not properly aligned. If you notice that you have developed a poor posture consult a specialist, usually a licensed physical therapist.
