When you get indigestion, medication or a walk around the block may help you feel better, but there’s something else you can try. Self-massage is a relatively simple technique that could also relieve heartburn.
Many things can cause heartburn or indigestion, says Shirlene Reid, RD, the Missouri-based lead dietitian at Understood Nutrition, such as food intolerances, carbonated beverages, and even the way you sleep. Chronic heartburn could come from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which happens when stomach acid creeps into your esophagus and causes a burning sensation.
If you have heartburn twice a week or more, or you’re concerned about your symptoms, it’s recommended that you see your doctor. When you’re having heartburn in the moment, along with over-the-counter medications and more common lifestyle changes, you may try these complementary approaches.
Start With Deep Breathing
Research has shown deep breathing that engages your diaphragm, the strong muscle that sits below your lungs, can reduce GERD symptoms.
To do this, place one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach, says Reid. Then, take deep breaths counting in for four and out for four. Repeat this breathing pattern for 5 to 10 breaths to activate your parasympathetic nervous system, which kicks your digestion into high gear and can reduce discomfort. By involving your diaphragm, deep breathing also massages your abdomen from the inside.
Add Abdominal Massage
Imagine that your stomach is a clock, and your belly button is noon, says Elizabeth Trattner, an acupuncturist and integrative and lifestyle medicine–trained practitioner in Miami. She recommends using your hand or three fingers to slowly rub your stomach in a clockwise circle, starting at your belly button. Continue with the deep breathing. This is a traditional Chinese medicine approach intended to increase blood flow to the area to facilitate digestion and reduce your symptoms.
Try to Induce a Bowel Movement
Peristalsis is a wave-like contraction and relaxation of your digestive muscles and tract that moves the contents of your stomach through your body and out when you poop. That’s where the phrase “bowel movement” comes from. Because this is involuntary, you don’t need to think about it. But Trattner recommends a gentle massage to support your digestive system’s natural peristalsis and potentially help you poop. Research has shown a link between constipation and reflux, so keeping your system moving may help relieve heartburn and indigestion.
Trattner says to start by lying down on your back with a pillow supporting your head. Bring your knees up, but keep your feet flat on a bed or sofa. Begin massaging your lower left abdomen and use your hands and the tips of your fingers as if they are gently scooping upward from the lower left. Then slowly massage in a diagonal line across your belly below your belly button. This is the path that your stool takes through your body.
“Be gentle, don’t push, and use pressure as though you’re working with clay. There are times you can feel impacted stool or feel the noise of your large intestine,” says Trattner. “Another great way to deal with heartburn is to lie on your right side, preferably after your massage,” she says. “Your stomach empties via the right side of your body and [this position] will help with gastric movement and emptying.”
These experts stress that it’s important to move slowly and gently when trying a heartburn massage. If you’re dealing with indigestion during pregnancy, you may have to modify the massage, or avoid it altogether and try other relief methods.
The Takeaway
The mainstay of conventional heartburn management is medication and changes in lifestyle.
Complementary approaches may also include deep breathing.
Self-massage from the Chinese medicine tradition may increase blood flow to your gut and can keep your digestive system moving.
If you have heartburn twice a week or more, it's generally best to get evaluated by your doctor.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Ong A M-L et al. Diaphragmatic Breathing Reduces Belching and Proton Pump Inhibitor Refractory Gastroesophageal Reflux Symptoms. Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. March 2018.
Ogasawara N et al. Overlap Between Constipation and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease in Japan: Results From an Internet Survey. Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility. April 30, 2022.
Justin Laube, MD, is a board-certified integrative and internal medicine physician, a teacher, and a consultant with extensive expertise in integrative health, medical education, and trauma healing.
He graduated with a bachelor's in biology from the University of Wisconsin and a medical degree from the University of Minnesota Medical School. During medical school, he completed a graduate certificate in integrative therapies and healing practices through the Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing. He completed his three-year residency training in internal medicine at the University of California in Los Angeles on the primary care track and a two-year fellowship in integrative East-West primary care at the UCLA Health Center for East-West Medicine.
He is currently taking a multiyear personal and professional sabbatical to explore the relationship between childhood trauma, disease, and the processes of healing. He is developing a clinical practice for patients with complex trauma, as well as for others going through significant life transitions. He is working on a book distilling the insights from his sabbatical, teaching, and leading retreats on trauma, integrative health, mindfulness, and well-being for health professionals, students, and the community.
Previously, Dr. Laube was an assistant clinical professor at the UCLA Health Center for East-West Medicine and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, where he provided primary care and integrative East-West medical consultations. As part of the faculty, he completed a medical education fellowship and received a certificate in innovation in curriculum design and evaluation. He was the fellowship director at the Center for East-West Medicine and led courses for physician fellows, residents, and medical students.
