04/16/2026
Which magnesium supplement I usually recommend to my patients for chronic constipation as a pelvic floor PT and why it confuses a lot of people (even doctors)!
Many of you have probably heard by now that magnesium citrate can be helpful for treating constipation by drawing more water into the colon.
And you’ve also probably heard that magnesium glycinate is great for stress, sleep and reducing increased muscle tension by calming the nervous system.
This is what confuses people - I usually end up recommending my patients try magnesium glycinate to help with their constipation BEFORE trying magnesium citrate.
This is because most of my patients are ALSO dealing with things like increased stress levels, poor sleep, and/ or an overactive (tense) pelvic floor. In other words, their nervous system is stuck in a state of fight or flight. The opposite of fight or flight is rest and digest. So, if a woman is stuck in fight or flight, her body is not going to be able to complete the digestion process well. Additionally, if her muscles are tense, she may have difficult BMs because pelvic floor muscle relaxation is ESSENTIAL for elimination.
So when I recommend magnesium glycinate for their constipation in this type of situation, 9/10 times they get the stress and sleep benefits and ALSO get better bowel movements! (This is of course in addition to the therapy treatments we are doing) By looking at the whole person in front of me, I am treating the systems, not just the symptoms 💜
(Not medical advice - for information only)
