I just finished taking a course called The Ultimate Bowel Course with Dr. Susan Clinton, PT, who is a nationally renowned pelvic health PT and educator. I love how she takes a topic that nobody wants to talk about and makes it approachable. She gives nicknames for things. Instead of talking about anal or rectal anatomy, she will say “the back passage.”
She takes that same approachable style into one of the more overlooked parts of digestion, the nervous system. So much of what shows up as bloating, constipation, or IBS symptoms is not just about what you eat. It is about how connected your gut and your brain really are.
In my Washington, DC practice, I treat a lot of digestive concerns alongside pelvic floor dysfunction, because the two are so closely linked. Today I want to walk you through what the gut-brain connection actually is, and a few simple habits that can support it.
What Is the Gut-Brain Connection?
Your gut has its own nervous system, called the enteric nervous system, or ENS. It is organized into two networks of nerves embedded in the walls of your gut, and it has its own kind of intelligence.
While the ENS runs on its own reflexes, it stays in constant, two-way communication with your brain through the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, including the vagus nerve. This is why stress or anxiety can give you “butterflies in your stomach,” and why a gut issue can trigger a shift in your mood. It also explains that “gut feeling” you get when something feels off, your ENS is sending your brain a signal about a potential threat before you have consciously registered why.
According to Dr. Pankaj Pasricha, MD, a gastroenterologist at Stanford Health Care, more than 90 percent of the body’s serotonin and roughly half of its dopamine are actually found in the gut, not the brain. Researchers are now studying how these two systems influence one another, which is part of why digestive health and mental health are so intertwined.
Interestingly, Dr. Pasricha notes that the enteric nervous system in women may be more vulnerable to these disruptions than in men, possibly due to hormonal differences and how the nervous system develops. Women are also more likely to seek care for these symptoms, which may be part of why they show up in his practice more often.
How the Vagus Nerve Affects Digestion and IBS Symptoms
The vagus nerve is the main highway of the parasympathetic nervous system, the “rest and digest” side of things. In fact, it carries about 75 percent of your parasympathetic nervous system’s nerve fibers, according to the Cleveland Clinic. When it is functioning well, it helps regulate stomach acid, digestive enzymes, and gut motility.
When the connection between your brain and gut is disrupted, it can show up as a functional bowel disorder. Conditions like IBS, chronic constipation, diarrhea, and acid reflux are closely tied to irregularities in the ENS. Up to 30 to 40 percent of the population experiences a functional bowel problem like this at some point, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
This is part of why I approach digestive complaints the same way I approach pelvic pain, by looking at the whole nervous system rather than just the symptom in front of me. If you want more on this, I have written before about how pelvic floor physical therapy can decode IBS and how pelvic floor therapy can help with constipation.
Why Chewing Is an Underrated Digestive Tool
One of the points Dr. Clinton emphasized most in her course was chewing, and how much it can aid digestion and keep your parasympathetic nervous system engaged. Chewing does two things at once. It mechanically breaks food down, and it keeps your body primed to digest.
Purdue researcher Dr. Richard Mattes studied this directly with almonds. His team had participants chew almonds 10, 25, or 40 times per bite, then measured how much fat showed up in their stool afterward, according to ScienceDaily. The fewer chews, the more fat and energy passed through undigested. The more thoroughly people chewed, the more was absorbed.
A few ways to put this into practice.
- Stretch your meal out to 20 to 30 minutes instead of rushing through it.
- Set a timer and try to double the time you normally spend eating.
- Put your fork down between bites.
- Skip the news or TV during meals so your nervous system can stay in a more relaxed state.
Consistency matters more than perfection here. If you are working through a chronic digestive issue, it can take six months or longer of a habit change before you notice a real difference.
Posture and Mealtime Habits That Support Digestion
Posture plays a bigger role in digestion than most people expect. An upright posture at the table reduces gas and bloating, because it gives your organs the room they need to do their job.
A couple of small adjustments can help.
- Sit tall with a napkin around your neck instead of hunching forward to meet your plate.
- Place a pillow behind your lower back and keep it there while you eat, so you stay upright without straining.
These are not glamorous tips, but they make a real difference for my patients.
Simple Vagus Nerve Exercises to Try Before or After Meals
Because the vagus nerve is so central to digestion, calming techniques that stimulate it can help before or after eating, especially if you tend to eat while stressed. I have shared specific techniques in two earlier posts, including 5 vagus nerve releases and 6 surprising vagus nerve exercises to relieve chronic pain. Both are worth a look if this is new territory for you.
Experience Trauma-Informed Pelvic Floor Therapy in Washington, DC
Digestive symptoms and pelvic floor dysfunction so often show up together. And neither one is something you have to just live with. At Restore Hope Physical Therapy, I specialize in treating pelvic floor dysfunction and related digestive concerns with a trauma-informed approach that honors your nervous system’s need for safety. Through evidence-based manual therapies, biofeedback, and nervous system regulation techniques, I help you build the foundation for lasting healing.
Ready to take the first step toward healing? Schedule an initial assessment with Restore Hope Physical Therapy in Washington, DC today. I am here to help you restore hope in your digestive and pelvic health journey.
Other Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy Services at Restore Hope PT
I specialize in a wide range of pelvic health related issues for all genders. Services include:
- Support for sexual dysfunction for people assigned female at birth
- Management of constipation and abdominal pain for people assigned male and female at birth Pregnancy and postpartum pelvic pain relief
- Treatment of pelvic pain and urinary incontinence for people assigned male and female at birth
Reach out to learn how I can help you achieve greater comfort and health.
