Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable Bowel Syndrome is also referred to as functional bowel disorder.



It is a condition typified by troubled mobility of the large intestine. This leads to error of forward motion of its contents. However, there is no damage to the intestine and for this reason Irritable Bowel Syndrome is not a terminal disease.



Then again, it can be a cause of great irritation and annoyance in life. But, Yoga therapy has routines and practices that, if followed, help enormously in handling Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Bowel Movements

Type 1: They move the contents of the intestines around without propelling them forward. These are known as segmental shuttle contractions and help to gain time and contact with the lining of colon to absorb salt and water.

Type 2: Here a mass movement compresses the waste matter onwards into the rectum.



These are called peristaltic contractions and are activated early in the morning upon waking up or post-breakfast. These motions, resulting from the contraction and relaxation of the thin layer of muscle in the large intestine are directed by brain nerves. The parasympathetic nerves stimulate the peristalsis.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

By and large, the food we have passes through 30 feet of small intestines. This is after digestion and absorption of all nutrients is over, prior to it reaching the colon. One major function of the colon is to absorb the valuable water and salts then send the waste matter to the rectum; that is the waste bin. From there the removal of waste matter is dependent on orders from the higher brain that determines when and how to empty the bowel. This depends on the time, place as well as circumstances. Emptying the bowels once a day every morning is a healthy habit. Disruption of this rhythm causes abnormalities in bowel habits. These are referred to as Irritable Bowel Syndrome and result either in constipation or diarrhea.