Chiropractic Alignment Can Help With Acid Reflux and Digestive Problems
Osteopath doing a hip evaluation in his clinic checking the mobility and function of the joint on a young female patient on a couch
Share
Acid reflux is a common digestive problem. It happens when the stomach acid flows back into the esophagus or food pipe and irritates the lining. Sensations of burning discomfort in the abdomen and chest are also known as heartburn. Other digestive problems include:
Heartburn that can be chronic or short-term
Constipation
Diarrhea
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
If there are two or more episodes a week, it can be diagnosed as Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease/GERD. Symptoms usually present after eating. And symptoms can be especially pronounced if an individual lies down soon after. Additional symptoms can include:
Feeling that the throat is blocked
Acidic taste in the mouth
Bad breath
Pressure in the upper abdomen
Cramping
Nausea
Inability to swallow – if trouble with swallowing and choking persists or becomes severe, seek medical attention immediately
A chiropractor can help restore the body’s spinal balance and alignment. This can promote proper digestion without acid reflux symptoms. Realigning the spine back to a healthy shape, strengthens the back muscles, reducing the mechanical pressure on the internal organs. It also circulates the nerve energy to flow freely restoring normal function to the stomach and other organs.
Table of Contents
Acid Reflux Causes
The most common causes of acid reflux are:
Poor posture
Obesity
Pregnancy from the pressure placed on the stomach
High acidic diet – tomatoes, soda, coffee both regular/decaf, alcohol, and chocolate are common heartburn triggers
It has to do with something altering the body’s ability to generate digestive enzymes, acid, or a structural misalignment issue that can lead to disrupted digestion and acid reflux symptoms. When the body is out of alignment it can lead to aching hips, sore back, neck, and shoulders.
A misaligned spine can cause improper digestion and movement of food from the stomach to the intestines. Proper posture is a lot more than just keeping the body straight. Incorrect posture can lead to kyphosis, the spinal column rounding, which can cause the spine to push on areas where there is normally, no pressure. Two are the gastric and stomach areas.
Digestion
Common treatment options for acid reflux include:
Diet adjustments
Learning to eat less food at a slower pace
Weight loss
Quitting smoking
Posture education
Adopting a standing posture after eating allowing for optimal digestion
Medications can also be utilized like non-steroidal anti-inflammatories and anti-depressants. However, they may need to be modified as they can affect the efficiency of the esophageal sphincter.
A chiropractor will address the spinal misalignment that is affecting the body’s nerve flow for proper digestion. Once the body is in balance the physical process of proper digestion is restored. Along with synapses from the autonomic system, which is where digestion is controlled will be able to fire without interference. Additional chiropractic treatments that can benefit include:
Health coaching
Soft tissue therapy
Core strengthening for stomach pressure alleviation
Talk with a chiropractor to go through treatment options. Everyone is different, and so each treatment plan is unique to the individual’s needs and condition. Poor digestion and acid reflux affect the proper absorption of nutrients and minerals that can affect normal bodily processes. Chiropractic can get an individual back to normal digestive regulation.
Effective Chiropractic Treatment
Dr. Alex Jimenez’s Blog Post Disclaimer
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, and sensitive health issues and/or functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Our posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate and support directly or indirectly our clinical scope of practice.*
Our office has made a reasonable attempt to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We also make copies of supporting research studies available to the board and or the public upon request. We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation as to how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900. The provider(s) Licensed in Texas& New Mexico*
References
Angus, Katherine et al. “What effect does chiropractic treatment have on gastrointestinal (GI) disorders: a narrative review of the literature.” The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association vol. 59,2 (2015): 122-33.
The information herein on "Chiropractic Alignment Can Help With Acid Reflux and Digestive Problems" is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional or licensed physician and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make healthcare decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified healthcare professional.
Our information scopeis limited to Chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, contributing etiological viscerosomatic disturbances within clinical presentations, associated somatovisceral reflex clinical dynamics, subluxation complexes, sensitive health issues, and/or functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions.
We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from various disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system.
Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate to and directly or indirectly support our clinical scope of practice.*
Our office has reasonably attempted to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies available to regulatory boards and the public upon request.
We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez, DC, or contact us at 915-850-0900.