Gut and Intestinal Health

Gastrointestinal Stress and Digestion

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Gastrointestinal stress and digestion issues/problems have become a familiar experience for many individuals. Gastrointestinal issues include:

  • Dyspepsia or indigestion 
  • Bloating
  • Gas
  • General abdominal pain
  • Irritable bowel syndrome IBS
  • Crohn’s Disease
  • Constipation
  • Diarrhea
  • Persistent stomach pains

All of these can deplete the body of nutrients and drain the body’s energy. As a result, individuals can be distracted throughout the day, unable to leave the house, and unable to accomplish regular tasks. Gastrointestinal stress can be caused by a variety of factors, including:

  • Unhealthy diet
  • Interrupted sleep patterns
  • Work/school changes
  • Headaches
  • Medications
  • Fibromyalgia

Digestive issues are commonly associated with poor nutrition, but there could be an underlying cause in the spine and nervous system. Chiropractic can help manage gastrointestinal stress and stomach problems.

Spinal Subluxation and Gastrointestinal Stress

The nervous system controls every function that the body performs, including digestion. The spine communicates with the stomach directly. The thoracic mid-back and lumbar low-back regions of the spine are responsible for regulating the rate of how food is physically broken down and digested. A subluxation or spinal misalignment can interfere with vital information transmissions from the brain to the digestive tract compromising digestive function.

Subluxation

Subluxation refers to a misalignment of the vertebrae that can cause health issues with the nerves in the spine, directly affecting digestion. If the vertebrae are out of alignment, this causes a misfire in the signals being sent to the nerves of the digestive system.  This can cause problems for the body absorbing nutrients, vitamins, and minerals from food. Because of this, no matter how healthy the diet is, individuals can still suffer from digestive issues.

Chiropractic

Many individuals deal with stress through meditation, breathing exercises, physical activity/exercise, and diet adjustments.

Lifestyle adjustments help counter the effects of stress, but if the nervous system is blocked from spinal misalignment, disrupting vital nerve flow through the body, specifically the digestive tract, gastrointestinal stress will continue to cause damage and malfunction. Individuals with:

  • Crohn’s Disease
  • Acid Reflux
  • GERD
  • IBS
  • Have experienced how chiropractic treatment corrects and helps manage symptoms.

Body Composition


Viscous and Nonviscous Fiber

Another way of classifying fiber is by its viscosity or thickness. Certain types of soluble fiber are thicker and are more likely to form firmer, stickier gels when mixed with water. When digesting food that consists of thick fiber it increases the thickness of the gel substance that passes through the gut. As a result, it reduces appetite because it makes the body feel fuller longer. Viscous fibers include:

The most frequently cited benefits of fiber include:

  • Reduces cholesterol levels
  • Improves glycemic control in type 2 diabetes
  • Improves stool form in constipation and diarrhea directly related to viscosity.

Nonviscous food sources tend not to have these benefits. A recommended strategy is to lean toward foods higher in viscosity.

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.

Qu, Liuxin et al. “Irritable bowel syndrome treated by traditional Chinese spinal orthopedic manipulation.” Journal of traditional Chinese medicine = Chung i tsa chih ying wen pan vol. 32,4 (2012): 565-70. doi:10.1016/s0254-6272(13)60072-2

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Professional Scope of Practice *

The information herein on "Gastrointestinal Stress and Digestion" 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.

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Our information scope is 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.

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Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, RN*, CCST, IFMCP*, CIFM*, ATN*

email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com

Licensed as a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) in Texas & New Mexico*
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Welcome-Bienvenido's to our blog. We focus on treating severe spinal disabilities and injuries. We also treat Sciatica, Neck and Back Pain, Whiplash, Headaches, Knee Injuries, Sports Injuries, Dizziness, Poor Sleep, Arthritis. We use advanced proven therapies focused on optimal mobility, health, fitness, and structural conditioning. We use Individualized Diet Plans, Specialized Chiropractic Techniques, Mobility-Agility Training, Adapted Cross-Fit Protocols, and the "PUSH System" to treat patients suffering from various injuries and health problems. If you would like to learn more about a Doctor of Chiropractic who uses advanced progressive techniques to facilitate complete physical health, please connect with me. We focus on simplicity to help restore mobility and recovery. I'd love to see you. Connect!

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