Ileocecal Valve Syndrome: What is It?

I'd never heard of such a thing as an ileocecal valve until I saw an alternative medicine practitioner for a "free consultation.." This practitioner promptly told me about this tiny part of the bowel system, and indicated that mine was "stuck open" and needed to be closed, which of course his treatment was designed to do.

I declined the treatment plan, but I was curious enough to start studying the ileocecal valve and its function in overall health. What I found was intriguing .

First of all, some basic anatomy. The ileocecal valve is a small sphincter muscle located where the small intestine (or the ileum) meets the large intestine (the cecum). This valve is designed to let the digested food in the small intestine enter into the large intestine where it then becomes waste matter. The valve is also intended to keep the waste matter in the large intestine from getting sent back into the small intestine.

So that means that an ileocecal valve "stuck open" is ummm....yes, allowing waste products to back up into the small intestine, much on the order of a clogged sink. This allows toxins to be absorbed into the body, and creates digestive disturbances. The mainstream medical professions rarely notices or recognizes this syndrome known as ileocecal valve syndrome, so I was still skeptical until I read the list of symptoms associated with ileocecal valve problems.

Among others, symptoms include:

• Bowel dysfunction like diarrhea and constipation
• Nausea
• Headaches
• Bad breath
• Dizziness
• Low back pain
• Pelvic pain on the right side
• Right shoulder pain

This list struck me because I had every single one of those symptoms. In fact, I'd been diagnosed with colitis in my early twenties. Many of the symptoms were similar. Other symptoms can be:

• Heart palpitations
• High blood pressure
• Flu-like symptoms

And the ileocecal valve is located exactly where I had felt pain and tenderness for years.

The ileocecal valve is not too hard to find, though it can differ slightly in person to person. If you put your left thumb on your belly button, and your right thumb on your high part of your right hip, and imagine the midpoint of a line intersecting the two , you should be right above the spot.

Then if you press down firmly with your fingers 2-3 inches below that line, you should feel a tender spot. It can feel more or less tender depending on the person and the acuteness of ileocecal valve syndrome.

Many health practitioners advocate massaging that spot firmly twice a day. I will say it is easier to do lying down, and some people find that finding and massaging the area is easier if you use a nice massaging oil, too.

Massaging this area, and other tender areas of the colon as well is reported to restore health and normal function to the bowel, including an ileocecal valve that is stuck open or closed.

I was further convinced that this practitioner was onto something about the ileocecal valve when I read the list of things that reportedly cause this ileocecal valve syndrome. Some causes are:

• Having emotional upsets or stress
• Being dehydrated
• Eating too quickly, too frequently, and not chewing enough
• Ingesting carbonated drinks, caffeine, or alcohol

That sounded just like the same list I had gotten 20 years ago about my colitis. And the list of foods to avoid were similar:

• Raw fruits and vegetables, particularly iceberg lettuce and apples
• Popcorn , seeds, and nuts
• Spicy foods
• And the carbonated , caffeinated, or alcoholicdrinks listed above.

Other treatments suggested are chiropractic adjustments or homeopathic remedies. If using the massage recommended above, and reducing or removing the offending foods do not help with the symptoms associated with ileocecal valve syndrome, you may want to seek one of those practitioners for treatment.