Very few acknowledge this in public, but squeezing out a big load is one of the simplest pleasures of life. That’s why having backed up poop can be the most frustrating thing in the world, and unfortunately for us, it happens quite regularly. Constipation can be triggered by the slightest changes—from not drinking enough water, to switching up your diet, travel, taking medication, not getting enough exercise, stress, and so much more.
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There are a whole book of tips and tricks people use to release annoyingly stubborn stool, but we’ve come across one hack that is unbelievably easy and apparently super effective. Anita Tadavarthy, a licensed acupuncturist was recently featured on Buzzfeed after she went viral on TikTok for sharing her golden tip to relieve constipation.
According to Tadavarthy, here’s what you need to do:
- Close your hands with your thumbs sticking out.
- Press your hands together at the point where your thumbs and index fingers are touching.
- Rub your hands back and forth for a couple of minutes.
- Repeat the action several times throughout the day.
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♬ original sound - Empirical Grace Acupuncture
When Buzzfeed reached out to the acupuncturist to find out more about this bizarre technique, she said that there are various points on the hand that are linked to the colon. She continued:
This massage at the acupressure point [known as] large intestine 4 (LI4) stimulates the large intestine or colon. The back and forward massage on the acupressure point causes the same back and forward contraction of the colon to pass the stool. That's why this works so well.
What is acupressure?
Similar to acupuncture, acupressure is a form of alternative medicine in which you massage certain pressure points of the body in order to manage symptoms exhibited by different conditions.
In traditional Chinese medicine, it is believed that your body has certain meridians are linked to a network of organs that are interconnected. According to WebMD there are 12 major meridians throughout the body. For example, the web of skin between your thumb and index finger is connected to the large intestine and this point is known as the large intestine 4 or LI 4.
