When people think of a chiropractor, the first thing to come to their mind is adjustments, spinal health, muscle health, and tendon health. Something not many people would think a chiropractor could help with is stomach health. Digestive health is important, and if not treated properly it can lead to a lot of discomfort and pain. Something many don’t consider is that the different systems of the body are all connected, including the digestive system and the nervous system. So, how can a chiropractor help you with your digestive system issues? First, let’s look at how the nervous system and digestive system are connected.
There is a collection of nerves that branch out from your lower spine and connect to your stomach and intestines. Like all nerves, these are meant to carry information from that are of your body to your brain and vice versa. These nerves play a large part in your digestion, absorption of nutrients and minerals, and disposal of waste products. When your spine has misalignments called subluxations, an interference occurs with how the nerves function. This can cause the nerves to misfire. This can cause organs to malfunction and, in the case of the digestive system, cause symptoms such as gas, cramping, heartburn, constipation, GERD, and much more. Muscle tension, something else many chiropractors treat, also has an effect on the stomach. This tension can cause what we call “stomach aches” and other digestive issues.
This is where chiropractic treatment can greatly benefit you. In your first visit with a chiropractor, they will hear your symptoms and attempt to pinpoint what would be causing that. Once they do this, they can create a treatment plan that suits you. For digestive issues, this will often include spinal realignment. This realignment is in attempt to rid your spine of the subluxations. This will decompress the nerves, allowing them to freely communicate with your digestive system.
Something else your chiropractor will do with you is create a plan for you to follow at home that will help keep your digestive system healthy. This plan often includes dietary changes as well as some exercises that can be done at home to avoid additional misalignments. These changes will help address issues from digestive problems such as IBS and GERD as well. The best part of utilizing a chiropractor for these types of issues is that they keep it natural, they won’t be pushing you towards medication, but instead guiding you through how you can treat yourself in the future to ensure you can be healthy.
Digestive issues are no joke and there are many that you should see a doctor for, but this does not mean you shouldn’t consider a chiropractor. Next time you have digestive issues, come to your local chiropractor to see what we can do for you!