Before looking at treatments for constipation, it is important to first identify which kind of constipation you have.
Through the course of my research, consultations with clients, feedback from readers, and my own struggle with constipation, I have come to identify two different types of constipation.
Since I have not come across any labels for these in the medical literature (or perhaps I just didn’t read widely enough), I have made up my own labels to distinguish between these two different types of constipation. I call them peristaltic constipation and stenosis constipation.
Of course, while most people seem to suffer from one or the other, there are people who suffer from a combination of the two.
1. Peristaltic Constipation
This type of constipation can consist of many different symptoms or factors, but the defining elements are as follows:
- You just don’t often (or rarely, never) feel the urge to have a bowel movement. You can have stool building up in your colon for days, but no urge or urgency to poo.
- If you’ve been constipated for a long time, this build-up of stool may not even be uncomfortable anymore.
- When you do have a bowel movement, your stool is large and fairly wide. Even if it is in hard balls, the diameter is larger than half an inch.
Colonic massage can really help get your bowels moving and assist your body’s peristaltic mechanism.
2. Stenosis Constipation
I came up with the name for this one based on the medical label of anal stenosis (narrowing, tightness or stricture of the anal canal). Stenosis constipation means that you experience one or more of the scenarios below:
- You often feel the urge to defecate. In some cases, the urge can be frequent or continual. You may even feel the stool pushing against your anus, but when you try to poo, it is very difficult to pass stool and sometimes, or often, nothing comes out. When you do manage to poo, your stool can be any width, length, or consistency.
- If you’ve had this type of constipation for a long time, then your urge to defecate may have greatly lessened, if not disappeared (remember the bowel is easily trained). However, passing stool is still extremely difficult and your anus/rectum can spasm and be very tight or narrow.
- When you manage to pass stool, the stool can be very thin, sometimes only the width of a flattened pencil. You strain and push mightily and it may feel like you’re passing a huge stool, but when you look in the toilet there’s only a very narrow or small amount of stool. Stools can be soft, hard, balls, or cylinders, but rarely larger than 1/4 inch – 1/3 inch in diameter and the maximum diameter is not usually more than 1/2 inch.
Listen to my podcast for even more insights and a simple remedy:
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Hi,
Thanks for your analysis of constipation types. I am suffering through this stenosis type of constipation. Can you please suggest effective remedy if you have successfully experimented. I will prefer natural remedy and defintely not any allopathic medicine remedy.
Kindly let me know your feedback.
Thanks
Abhi
Hi Abhi,
Jini goes into great detail about constipation remedies at the link below:
http://www.listentoyourgut.com/symptoms/34/constipation.html
If you have any additional questions please feel free to e-mail me at service@listentoyourgut.com.
Have a great day,
Justin
Hi, i need to know how to solve my constipation problem…can im mail you.
Hi Raz,
Check out the link from comment #2 as it may provide some insight. Jini also wrote a book called Listen to Your Colon which talks all about constipation as well. For more information about that, take a look at the link below:
http://www.healconstipation.com
Have a great day,
Justin
my daughter is 3 n half year old .she is a pre- mature child, born in seventh month.she does not pass stool daily from her birth.earlier she had pressure but was not able too pass stool n suffered lots of pain daily and able to pass it after 2 ,3 days but now from three four months she even do not feel any pressure for 4 days.i have to use ducolax..plz tel me the solution have given many medecines to her but in vain.
Hi Sameer,
I wish we could be of assistance but you should definitely consult your physician if you’re unsure about what to do next. I’m afraid we are unable to provide a medical opinion. However, if you want to educate yourself and get some ideas for natural treatments for constipation, please see this page:
http://www.listentoyourgut.com/symptoms/34/constipation.html
Also, Jini’s book on constipation, Listen To Your Colon, has specific instructions for children in each chapter:
http://www.listentoyourgut.com/healing-resources/7/listen-to-your-colon-the-complete-natural-healing-guide-for-constipation.html
Hope that helps.
Kind regards,
Justin
Customer Care
I am suffering from stenosis constipaton. My poo is not hard. I am getting pressure somehow but after pooing i am not feeling empty. There is also a problem of frequent urination. Please help me i am suffering from it from last 5-6 months….
Hi Yash,
Check out the link from comment #2 as it may provide some insight. Jini also wrote a book called Listen to Your Colon which talks all about constipation as well. For more information about that, take a look at the link below:
http://www.healconstipation.com
Have a great day,
Justin
I now know my type of constipation is stenosis. Will give this sitting position a go ASAP.
Hi Ernie,
Thanks for the comment. Let us know how it works out for you!
Kind regards,
Justin
Customer Care
I find that mira lax is all that helps me have a bm. At ninety years of age it is a reel pane in the you know what.
Hello Bill,
Haha! We don’t normally recommend ongoing use of stool softeners, but sometimes at age 90 you got to do what you got to do! Hope you continue to feel good, and please let us know if there is any questions or anything we can help you with.
Kind Regards,
Rachel
Customer Care
I just read you book Listen to Your Colon. I am sure to have more questions as I begin to process and integrate all of the very helpful information and suggestions but for now have two quick questions.
1) I have recently begun to count grams of fiber I eat in a day and trying to get up to the recommended 23 to 25gms per day. I suspect that one of my problems is I haven’t been getting enough of into my system. Is that the amount that you recommend?
2) You mentioned in passing that rice is constipating. I eat it all the time! Is brown rice and white rice equally a problem? I am wondering what other common foods I eat regularly are also constipating. Any thoughts?
Thanks so much for all your good work!
Hi Kathy,
This download should help answer your questions! 🙂 https://listentoyourgut.com/wp-content/uploads/Relieving-Constipation-Through-Diet.pdf
Follow up question… Is chocolate constipating? Bananas? Thank you 🙂