Hey Derby - maybe try this: Although it's going be a little hard to type out, but here is the reasoning behind it.
All of us have a certain "Nervous" pattern. In your case, it's not so much a nervous stomach, it's really a pattern you've developed over a very long time in which a lot of us share especially with UC or Crohns. What you probably do is in any stressful situation, be it sport, work, relationships etc; your nervous energy is recruited and channeled right smack into your gut (around your intestinal muscles)... Chances are you could draw a circle around the area if you really paid close attention to this. So if someone perhaps yells at you, or confronts you in a threatening manner, I bet your stomach muscles immediately tighten causing you to almost hunch over to an extent... Think abut it for a second and imagine yourself in this situation - see what and where tightens on your body just by thinking about
it... Or imagine yourself in any situation that causes you anxiety and pay attention to exactly where your "clinching" and "tightening"... most likely this will be your abdominal or intestinal area.
Now, if you find this is actually the case - to address this issue: It's really quite simple and effective. Once you recognize where your channeling your nerves, anxiety and more so your "emotions" you just need to distract this. Channel it differently. Get the "flow" going as you said.
Once of the simplest ways to do this prior to a game or any social type event is just to do a few specific stretches - lay flat on your back with your legs straight, arms out to each side so you form a "T". Breathe in deep and raise your right knee to point up to the ceiling. Turn your head to the right and take your left hand and pull your right knee down towards the ground (to the left of your body). Hold this for a bit... breathe deep and repeat on the other side. Then return to the "T" and breathe deep in and out a few times. Then raise both knees up toward the ceiling and just rock bath and forth a few inches either way (say 30 times), then keeping both knees in the air rock all the way to your right side and then back over to your left side. Do this maybe 10 times per side - then lower your legs flat and return to the "T". Put your hands behind your head, lock your fingers together and raise only your neck as if you were trying to do a sit up but don't actually raise your shoulders off the ground... or only very very slightly and naturally. Then use your hands to rock your head back and forth for left to right a few times. Return to the "T" and take a few more deep breathes. Stand up - stand straight with your arms totally relaxed to either side and twist your body from left to right or visa versa. Let your arms swing and flop around naturally. Don't force them in any way. They should naturally just flop against your hip bones with each rotation. You back will probably crack like no tomorrow which you'll find helps loosen you up and really get the "flow" going...
If you try the above I'm quote sure you'll find that "nervous stomach" disappear. Or at least go away for a good period of time.
What you have just done - is refocused all your "nervous energy" away from your gut and into your obliques. Instead of taking all that energy and tightening your stomach or intestinal area, you re-focused or distracted your nervous system towards figuring out what the heck to do with all the muscles surrounding your intestines... the ones that are not recruited by your "auto" response. So your intestinal muscles loosen up and wham, the tight stomach feeling goes a way for a bit. This automatically calms you...
It helps tremendously to breathe very deep, close your eyes and zone out when doing the stretches... Focus on something, a place where you find yourself the most relaxed and comfortable.... And breathe in very deep and exhale very slowly.
It's sounds totally goofy, but it really does help - even just stopping and breathing deep a few times and maybe dropping to the ground on your back and breathing deep for a few quick back and fourth stretches during a break in the game will make a big difference.
That was a mouthful to type out. Hopefully it will help with the "urgency" issue prior to a game till you find something med wise or natural to deal with your UC.
Post Edited (Canada Mark) : 4/9/2013 10:54:34 AM (GMT-6)