A Little Known Appendage That Can Spell Big Symptoms

Helping many a client with digestive troubles, I have discovered many have common issues, some coming from a little valve in between your small intestine and large intestine.
Before we go further, remember that the intention of all of my articles is for educational purposes and do not substitute for professional help from your Health Professional. But I thought this was worthy to pass on.
What I find with clients and have in myself from time to time that are suffering from digestive troubles is that sometimes this flap stays open. It can especially be so for people that have had their appendix removed or other abdominal surgery.
The point of the Ileocecal valve is so that undigested food stays in the small intestine until it is digested and ready to be moved on to the large intestine. If it does so sooner, diarrhea results. I felt pain or a "pressure" in my lower right quadrant of my belly, along with digestive symptoms. I found this fantastic article from Dr. David Williams. Read on...

Close Your Ileocecal Valve

Diarrhea can sometimes be caused by an ileocecal valve that isn't working properly. The ileocecal valve, which is located between the small and large intestine, serves two purposes. First, it acts as a block that prevents the toxic contents of the large intestine from backing up into the small intestine. Second, it keeps the food products in the small intestine from passing into the large intestine before the digestive processes have been completed. When this valve stays open when it shouldn’t, it results in diarrhea.

There are a few common reasons why the ileocecal valve doesn't always work right, which causes diarrhea. Sometimes spicy or roughage-type foods will irritate the valve and cause it to get stuck. Stress and emotional trauma can also cause the valve to malfunction. And I've personally found that those who have had their appendix removed seem to have more problems with the valve than others. Luckily, there are a couple of simple things you can do to close up an ileocecal valve that is stuck open and causing diarrhea:

Massage your ileoceal "reflex" points. By rubbing out the points illustrated here, you can unstick the valve to stop diarrhea. The areas illustrated should be massaged with firm pressure for about 10 to 20 seconds each (it is not beneficial to rub the points any longer than that. In fact, it may negate the effect).
Ileocecal reflex points for treating diarrhea
Hold the ileocecal valve shut for several minutes. Place your hand over the valve (which is located about halfway between the belly button and the right "hip bone") and while pushing in, pull up toward the left shoulder. You can also place an ice pack made of cold water or ice over the valve for about 15 to 20 minutes. This process can be repeated if necessary.
Modify your diet to help stop diarrhea. Eliminate spicy foods, alcohol, cocoa, chocolate, and caffeinated products for a week or so. And it's also helpful to eliminate all roughage-type food for a short period of time until the diarrhea ends."

On other levels, you might to notice areas in your life where you have left doors open, left business unfinished, or are leaving yourself open to repeated harm. The ileocecal valve can represent a very victim mentality of being a "doormat" and these are concepts that definitely need to be absolved for your own health in many way
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1 comment

I am trying to find a doctor that treats ileocecal valve syndrome. I have been having severe pain down low in my abdomen for a long time. I could get a doctor who could give me a correct diagnosis after many tests came back negative. Last year I I was admitted to the hospital twice back to back. The first time with diverticulitis. The next week I was back in hospital with a complete blocked bowel. They did find I have a lot of adhesions. Now I am really having constipation and then it turns into diarrhea. Every time I have a bm, I am in so much pain, I have to lie down for about an hour. I am at the point, I just don’t know how much longer I can go on like this.

Carolyn Dearen

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