Thursday, January 15, 2015

DIGESTION PROBLEMS? A Massage May Be the Unexpected Answer!





 


THE ARVIGO TECHNIQUES OF MAYA ABDOMINAL THERAPY (tm) may help your digestion problems! 


Rowan Twosisters, Registered Massage Therapist, and owner of Houston’s Urban Curandera is the force majeure behind the magic of the Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Therapy™, and I sought her out last month, desperate for help with my gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD), and an inability to digest food properly. My initial expectations were simple:  I hoped that the technique would get my over-medicated gut moving, and relieve the spasms in my intestines.

I first heard about the technique as used in post-natal care, premenopausal and menopausal symptoms and general gynecological health. Having had a total hysterectomy at thirty, I brushed off the technique as interesting, but not relevant to my own health…until I started hearing anecdotal stories of gastrointestinal symptom improvement. I was desperate for relief from my own intractable gastro esophageal reflux disease, which has become quite severe; it had caused my throat to swell shut from acid irritation. Double doses of H2 blockers and Proton pump inhibiters provide only temporary relief, and taking the oversized pills was often difficult. I slept sitting up, and eating caused more abdominal pain and cramping than it seemed worth. The medical tests became more invasive, and the meds became more toxic.

Upon arriving for my first massage a positive, healing and private atmosphere emanated from Urban Curandera. My first visit began holistically with an in-depth review of systems. After our consult, Rowan left me to change and I rested on a heated massage table. The room was comfortable, the music played softly, and I relaxed easily.
As a Doula, the same intuition that drives Rowan's pre- and perinatal care transfers easily to the tasks of healing and massage.  The entire process was quite relaxing as Rowan moved through the various techniques. Because my abdomen was so tender, I was concerned that manipulation would cause pain or embarrassing burping or gas. Neither happened, for which I was relieved (or not?). Instead, I felt immediate relief of the spasms in my intestine. She also included massage of mid to lower back and side areas, so it was a true 360 degree massage of my entire abdominal cavity.  

Rowan worked on me for some time, and afterwards advised me to move slowly at first, and to drink lots of water that day.  The procedure itself seemed to make me very thirsty. When my intestines cleared twenty-four hours later, I hypothesized that the procedure helps to hydrate the organs of the abdomen.

The night of the massage, I rested and ate light. I expected this to be a process that might take many weeks; but I woke the next morning hungry for the first time in a year! The next week, I continued to improve, but was again in distress when I saw her for the second time three weeks later. 
Now also armed with self-care instructions provided by Rowan, I had even better and longer lasting results, and began to notice a significant improvement in my stomach symptoms. At the third session it became very obvious to me that these massage techniques may help common gastro-intestinal problems such as irregularity and irritable bowel syndrome, as well as GERD, heartburn and bloating. I am now becoming comfortable with the self-care, and appreciate that Rowan’s goal is to teach me how to continue the benefits on my own.

I strongly believe that the techniques may also have adjunct therapeutic value in cases of more pernicious diseases such as Crone’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. Under any conditions, the Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Therapy™ as practiced by Rowan Twosisters at Urban Curandera, has everyday applications beyond gynecological benefits.

For more information, please comment or contact me directly at AmicaG@Outlook.com if you would like more information regarding alternative healing or for a referral to a massage therapist in the Houston area.

c 2015 K.Marie Rojas
The Green Association for Sustainability