Chiropractic Care and Digestive Health
By Dr. Tim Fargo, Chiropractor
It might sound strange and surprising to some readers that there are many patients who come to chiropractic clinics with the primary presenting complaint of digestive problems. Some of those digestive problems include constipation, diarrhea, acid reflux, gas, bloating, abdominal pain, and more. It may seem strange because most folks don’t necessarily associate chiropractic care with the digestive system. The truth of the matter is that virtually every system in the body, including your digestive system, is impacted by what happens with your nervous system. There is a part of the nervous system, called the “autonomic nervous system”, whose function is to control and regulate all your internal organs. The nerve supply to the digestive organs comes from the upper neck (via the vagus nerve), the mid back (for the upper digestive organs like the stomach, pancreas, liver, and gallbladder) and the lower back and pelvis for organs like the small intestine and large intestine.
In much the same way that nerves can be irritated and cause a problem in your leg or your arm; everybody knows about things like sciatic pain, for example, nerves controlling digestive organs can also be irritated. There have been many instances in my long career where I have seen people of all ages with constipation, acid reflux, and other conditions respond very favorably simply to having the associated parts of the spine adjusted. If spinal manipulation was the only tool that we had to help alleviate digestive complaints, we would still help a very high percentage of people who seek help. When we add other modalities that are more centered around reducing the chemical stress of improper nutrition, then our results become even more impressive.
A high percentage of people with digestive complaints are sensitive to particular foods that are causing irritation to their digestive tract. Having food sensitivity testing done can point the way for the creation of a diet that eliminates irritation and inflammation in the digestive system. For example, a great many people suffer with sensitivity to common foods such as gluten-containing grains (wheat, rye, barley and oats), dairy products, corn products, and soy. These foods are exceedingly common in the food supply and are often consumed with such regularity that the person is never able to identify the cause and effect relationship between consumption of the food and the symptoms they experience. The doctors at Chiropractic Health and Wellness are all skilled at food sensitivity testing.
In addition to all of the above, nutritional supplementation can make an incredible difference for people with digestive complaints. For example, digestive enzymes can aid in the digestion and, ultimately, the assimilation of vital nutrients. Particular nutrients can be very helpful in reducing inflammation in the gut and healing the gut membrane. Finally, pre-and probiotic supplements can create the kind of gut ecology that allows a person to experience a higher level of health.
If you or a member of your family or friends are experiencing digestive complaints, then do not hesitate to talk to one of the doctors at Chiropractic Health and Wellness so that we can get you on the road to better digestion and long-term health. It has been said that “we are what we eat”. It might be more accurate to say that “we are what we eat, digest, assimilate, and eliminate”. We can help you with each one of these critical points.
