Did you know more than 62 million Americans are diagnosed with a digestive disorder every year? These health issues tend to increase with age, but can still affect people at any age. Digestive issues can have a negative effect on a person’s everyday life, as they decrease your energy levels, deplete you of key nutrients, keep you at home, and interfere with your personal and professional life. While most people use medications for temporary pain relief, there are drug-free options to consider that do more than just treat symptoms. Chiropractic care is a whole-body approach that identifies and treats the root cause of a patient’s health conditions. Let’s take a look at how chiropractors can help patients with digestive issues.
What Are Digestive Issues?
The digestive system is responsible for absorbing key nutrients and removing waste (i.e. toxins). A digestive issue refers to any health issue within the digestive tract. Digestive problems can range from mild to severe and can affect people at any age.
Common Digestive Issues
- Abdominal Pain
- Bloating
- Celiac disease
- Constipation
- Crohn’s disease
- Diarrhea
- Gallstones
- Gas
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- Nausea
Top Causes of Digestive Issues
While there are a wide range of causes, researchers have discovered that genetics are a main cause of digestive issues. Environmental factors can contribute too. This includes your diet, location, medications, mood, and stress, as well as moving and traveling. When you make any big changes to your normal life routine, this can affect your digestive system.
The Link Between Your Digestive System and Nervous System
In case you didn’t know, your digestive system is linked to your nervous system. Your nervous system is responsible for telling your digestive system how to work. If there are any neurological interferences within the spine, this may negatively affect your digestive health.
Your Spine Communicates With Your Stomach
The thoracic and lumbar parts of the spine control how fast or slow your body breaks down and digests the food you eat. When there are nerve issues in your spine, this will impact your digestive system’s ability to function properly.
Your Lower Back and Stomach Issues
Studies have found that people suffering from stomach issues also tend to have lower back issues. A spine misalignment can occur in the lower back. This then prevents key signals from reaching the brain. This explains how stomach issues can happen when there are misalignments in the lower back.
Spinal Subluxations
If you have a spine misalignment, this can prevent your body from absorbing key nutrients and vitamins from the food you eat. This can lead to weight loss, malnutrition, and other serious health concerns.
Can Chiropractors Help With Digestive Problems?
When you visit your local chiropractic office, a licensed chiropractor can identify and treat the underlying cause of your digestive issues. This is a much different approach than traditional healthcare, which uses medications to temporarily treat pain symptoms. Indeed, a chiropractor can perform a gentle adjustment to address any spine misalignments. This will gently and safely guide your vertebrae back into the proper alignment. Thus, this will remove any pressure off of your nervous system and allow it to function properly. You will likely experience less digestive issues, as your nervous system can now effectively communicate with your digestive system. Many patients experience enough pain relief that they reduce or stop using medications for any pain relief related to their digestive issues.
We hope this article helped you see how chiropractic care can help those with digestive issues. It’s a good idea to talk with your primary doctor to discuss your treatment options. If you want to learn chiropractic can help treat your health conditions, contact Awaken Chiropractic today. Our Parker chiropractor near you would love to help you achieve your maximum health potential!
