Medical professionals still have yet to determine
the cause of gastroesophageal reflux disease, commonly known as GERD, but one
current patient of mine, Dan C., found a method of treating it that he
recommends to others. If you don’t know, GERD is “a chronic digestive disease
that occurs when stomach acid…flows back (refluxes) into your food pipe
(esophagus). The backwash of acid irritates the lining of your esophagus and
causes GERD signs and symptoms.”[1]
The LES (lower esophageal sphincter)—“the ring of
muscle between the esophagus and stomach”[2]—
is triggered to relax by a wave that begins when we swallow food or liquid, and
then spreads down the esophagus until it reaches the LES, which responds by
opening and closing tightly. The muscles involved in this process are
controlled by nerves that are located at T1-T4 on the spinal column. See the
image below to get an idea of
where T1-T4 are situated.
It follows, then, that anything impairing the nerve impulses
could ultimately cause our gastroesophageal mechanism to fail. Think about it:
if the nerves in the T1-T4 area are compressed, the LES will open and close
unnecessarily—even when there is no food or liquid to digest. This will cause
stomach acid and chyme (which consists of partially digested food, water,
hydrochloric acid, and various digestive enzymes[3])
to flow back into the esophagus.
Overweight people have a much higher occurrence of
GERD, and they also tend to have more back problems due to the extra weight
they are carrying around. Is this a coincidence? And is it a coincidence that
weightlifters and even cyclists and joggers are also at a higher risk of GERD,
while these activities are also hard on the spine? Though the connection
between nerve root compression and GERD has not been proven, it seems logical
that they are in fact linked. 
If suffering from GERD, you might try icing your
upper back and seeing if nerve root compression could be causing your symptoms.
If you find that icing does help you, as Dan C. did when he suffered from severe acid reflux, you should consider seeking chiropractic help. As we’ve
discussed previously on this blog, the health of your spine affects the health
of your entire body. Good diet and probiotics can certainly provide relief of
GERD and acid reflux symptoms, but it’s important to remember that you should
always try to treat the problem, not merely the symptoms.
Visit this website for a discussion of this topic
that Dan initiated when he suffered from acid reflux: http://www.reflux.org/reflux/webdoc01.nsf/(vwWebPage)/SpinalTheory.htm?OpenDocument
“Working
to restore GOD’s perfect design in you!”
[1] Definition of “GERD.”
Mayoclinic.org.
<http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gerd/basics/definition/con-20025201>
[2] “Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
(GERD).” WebMD. <http://www.webmd.com/heartburn-gerd/guide/reflux-disease-gerd-1>
[3] “Chyme.” Wikipedia.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chyme>
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