Is chiropractic care effective for treating chronic acid reflux or GERD? This is one of the few questions we receive from our clients suffering from gastroesophageal reflux disease.
Today, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is one of the most common digestive health conditions in the United States. According to studies, this disease affects roughly 1 in 5 American adults (between the ages of 25 years to 54 years. If you’re currently experiencing this health condition, the good news is there are a few reliable treatment options you can rely on to treat your symptoms.
For instance, if you’re the type that likes taking medicines, certain acid reflux medications, such as Omeprazole Capsules, are effective for treating GERD symptoms. Surgery, through a procedure known as Nissen fundoplication, is another effective treatment option for GERD sufferers. However, if you don’t want to take medicines and surgery is not your thing, another treatment option you can consider is chiropractic care.
What exactly is chronic acid reflux?
Before discussing functional medicine for acid reflux, let’s quickly understand what GERD means.
Chronic acid reflux, or GERD, is a digestive disease involving your lower esophageal sphincter (LES). In case you don’t know, LES is a high-pressure zone located at a point where your esophagus and the stomach connect. Its primary function is to open when food enters the stomach from the esophagus and to close and seal properly when food isn’t entering the stomach from the food lining.
As effective as your lower esophageal sphincter is, you need to understand it can become weak. When this happens, your LES will fail to provide the necessary seal to prevent food content (stomach acid) in your stomach from backwashing into your esophagus.
The backwash process causes GERD. It’s pretty simple; as stomach acid flows back up into the esophagus, the food lining will become inflamed, leading to gastrointestinal reflux disease. The main cause of GERD is the failure of the lower esophageal sphincter to function correctly.
Below are the symptoms of GERD:
- Heartburn
- Nausea
- Food and liquids regurgitation
- Chest pain
- Swallowing difficulty
- Choking sensations
Chiropractic care and other treatment options for GERD
As mentioned earlier, there are a few effective treatment options for GERD. Some people use omeprazole capsules or other reflux medicines to address their symptoms. Others treat their acid reflux surgically with a procedure called Nissen fundoplication.
Another effective treatment option that doesn’t require reflux medicines or surgery is chiropractic care. Today, chiropractors, such as those at LSM Chiropractic, use functional medicine for acid reflux. This treatment option doesn’t focus on treating reflux symptoms. Instead, it works by helping to identify the root cause of your GERD disease through a series of tests, including an orthopedic exam, a neurological exam, and chiropractic functional testing.
After that, your chiropractor will use functional medicine and chiropractic treatments to address this cause and prevent future issues.
- One effective functional medicine solution for GERD involves taking stress off your spine and joints. This treatment option will also eliminate pressure from your nerves.
- Another chiropractic care solution involves spinal manipulation to strengthen your back’s muscles. This option effectively relieves stomach pressure and treats any dysfunction that causes your GERD.
Chiropractic care for chronic acid reflux in Greater Madison, Wisconsin
Do you live in Greater Madison, Wisconsin, and seek the best chiropractic care center to treat your GERD? If yes, LSM Chiropractic is one of the few reliable centers you can visit today. Apart from having experienced, professional, and reliable chiropractors, we also have competitive prices for your treatment session. You can visit our chiropractic care office today to learn more about how our different solutions can effectively treat your acid reflux disease.