Digestive problems are a widespread occurrence in Americans. There are many different digestive problems, including recurring acid reflux, Irritable bowel Syndrome (IBS), frequent constipation or diarrhea, and gas and bloating. If you have any of these conditions, something is not functioning properly in your gut.
If you go to a regular medical doctor or even a gastrointestinal specialist, they will often try to treat the condition with over-the-counter or prescription medication. Unfortunately, this is not treating the condition but masking the symptoms with drugs. Trying to find the cause of the digestive issue is what’s preferred.
Some digestive problems stem from eating poorly and relying on a diet of processed or overly fatty foods. Some patients have inflammation in their bowel. Some patients cannot process acidic foods well. Some cannot tolerate gluten like they once could. There are many causes of digestive issues.
The nerves that supply your gut are called your Enteric Nervous System. This vast network of nerves primarily supplies information to your gastrointestinal system. It’s almost like the digestive system’s own nervous system. It’s said that if your gut is working correctly, the rest of your body is also working well.
The nerves that make up your enteric nervous system extend from the spine in the middle of your back down to the bottom of your lower back. Doctors of Chiropractic look for misaligned areas of the spine, or what we call subluxations. Subluxations in regions of the spine that go to the Enteric Nervous System can interfere with nerve function and cause digestive issues. That is the connection between chiropractic and gut health.
$49 Complete Chiropratic Health Screening For Digestive Disorders
$49 for a complete chiropractic health screening including a consultation, exam, X-rays if necessary, a report of findings, and a plan of action.
How Our Digestion Improvement Plan Works
1. Get To The Root Cause
Schedule a time you can sit with a chiropractor who will take a thorough history and exam to find out the root cause of your digestion issues.
2. Customize A Plan Of Attack
The chiropractor will create a customized care plan to not only get you out of pain but work toward keeping you well long term.
3. Change Your Life
Start doing all the things you couldn’t do, or were afraid to try because of digestion issues, and change your life for the better.
How We Treat Digestive Disorders In Belmar, NJ
Comprehensive Consultation and Exam
To determine what digestive issues you are dealing with, we need to start with a thorough history. Asking specific questions about diet and what symptoms you are experiencing is vital to determine if it’s treatable with chiropractic care. We will primarily focus on the spine and nervous system to determine the location of your subluxations and the origin of your digestive system’s dysfunction.
Specific Chiropractic Care in Belmar, NJ
Your spine encases the most crucial structure to life: your spinal cord and nervous system. The nerves that exit from the middle to lower part of the spine extend to the Enteric System, the large group of nerves that controls your digestive system. When misalignments or subluxations occur in this area of the spine, nerves may become irritated and not allow for proper digestive system function. Chiropractors correct subluxations and reestablish healthy nerve supply to all parts of the body, especially the digestive system. We can identify subluxations on an exam and with X-rays. Correcting subluxations can make a big difference in overall gut health.
Nutritional Guidance
Dr. Jodi Kinney and all the doctors in our office can provide nutritional guidance for patients struggling with digestive issues. General recommendations may include omitting or altering certain foods from your diet. We almost always suggest certain supplements that will help with diet and digestion. We also work with DoTerra Essential oils, some of which can help encourage proper digestion.
Common Digestive Disorders in Belmar, NJ
GERD
GERD is gastroesophageal reflux disorder or just reflux for short. When the muscles at the bottom of the esophagus don’t close properly, stomach acid regurgitates back up the esophagus. This results in GERD symptoms of an acidic or burning sensation in the chest or throat. Causes include poor diet, acidic foods, alcohol, pregnancy, eating too fast, or even high stress.
Chiropractic adjustments can help reflux by normalizing nerve function in those muscles, allowing the sphincter to close properly. We also utilize specific manual techniques to help with stomach function.
Constipation & Diarrhea
Constipation symptoms include fewer bowel movements than usual, hard stools that are difficult or uncomfortable to pass, straining during a bowel movement, aches and cramping associated with bowel movements, or feeling that you’ve not completely emptied your bowels after a bowel movement. Causes of constipation may be not consuming enough fiber and fluids, lack of regular exercise or physical movement, ignoring your body’s urges to pass stools, certain medication, stress or depression, and pregnancy.
Diarrhea symptoms include bloating in your belly, thin or loose stools, watery stools, and an urgent feeling that you need to have a bowel movement. Causes of diarrhea are food allergies, intestinal diseases (such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis), eating foods that upset the digestive system, bacterial infection (the cause of most types of food poisoning) or other organisms, laxative abuse, some cancers, and previous digestive surgery.
IBS
IBS is also known as irritable bowel syndrome. Symptoms include cramping, abdominal pain, bloating, gas, diarrhea, and constipation. IBS is a chronic condition that you’ll need to manage long-term. Symptoms can be abdominal pain, cramping, or bloating that is related to passing a bowel movement, or changes in the frequency of bowel movements. IBS is caused by abnormal muscle contractions in the intestine, abnormal nervous system function, stress, or a possible infection. Chiropractic relieves IBS by adjusting the spine where the nerves extend to the digestive system, helping normalize nerve supply thereby helping normalize function.
Crohn’s Disease
Crohn’s disease, also known as Inflammatory Bowel Disease, can cause swelling or inflammation of the lining of the digestive tract, most commonly the small intestine. Chiropractic adjustments normalize nerve supply, relieving inflammation and normalizing function.
Symptoms include abdominal pain, severe diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss, fever, and blood in stool. The causes of Crohn’s disease may be improper immune function. Sometimes, when the immune system fights a virus or bacteria in the gut, it may also attract abnormal intestinal cells. Chiropractic care normalizes nerve supply to the gut to alleviate dysfunction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can chiropractors in Belmar, NJ, improve digestion?
Yes, adjustments to the middle and lower spine remove subluxations and interference with the nerves that lead to the gut.
What part of the spine controls digestion?
The nerves that extend from the middle thoracic spine to the lower lumbar spine are the nerves that make up the enteric nervous system or the nerves that control the digestive system.
Can chiropractic help bowel movements?
Chiropractic adjustments have been shown to help improve bowel movements.
How do I get rid of GERD?
Eat less spicy foods, drink more water, and get adjusted!
$49 Complete Chiropratic Health Screening For Digestive Disorders
$49 for a complete chiropractic health screening including a consultation, exam, X-rays if necessary, a report of findings, and a plan of action.