Can Chiropractic Care Cure Digestive Issues?

Gut health affects your entire body. Your gastrointestinal system is home to more than 100 million nerve cells communicating with your brain. It’s so complex that it is considered its nervous system — the enteric nervous system (ENS), or “second brain.”

As with any other body part, your gut health can be treated and improved through tailored chiropractic care. In fact, at Pure Health and Wellness, our medical team is always eager to help clients discover new ways they can improve their lives through adjustments.

Recent research has shown promise for chiropractic care as a drug-free treatment option for digestive problems.

Read on to uncover the secret behind chiropractic care, your gastrointestinal system, and treating digestive problems naturally.

Is there any proof that chiropractic adjustments help digestive issues?
A systematic review in 2011 did not find any link between chiropractic care and improved digestive health. While two trials showed positive results, they had methodological flaws and weren’t conclusive.

The review noted that spinal adjustments could benefit gut health after treatment. In 2015, a narrative review of the literature surrounding chiropractic care found that it can potentially be a supportive therapy for people with digestive problems with no other conditions.

While there isn’t substantial scientific evidence to prove chiropractics help IBS or other guts, that doesn’t mean it is ineffective. Looking more closely at how chiropractic adjustments affect the body is the best way to determine how it may help your gastrointestinal system.

Digestive Issues Chiropractic Care Can Help
Depending on your symptoms, a chiropractor can determine the correct type of adjustments to make for your body and well-being. At Pure Health and Wellness, we tailor every treatment to each individual client and their health.

Some of the common digestive problems we help people overcome through chiropractic care are:
●      Acid reflux
●      Bloating
●      Cramping
●      Gas pains and flatulence
●      Constipation or irregular bowel movements
●      Easing symptoms of GERD, IBS, and Chron’s disease

Through gentle adjustments on a routine basis, your chiropractor can help target your symptoms or be helpful as a part of a greater treatment plan or as an alternative to over-the-counter medications.

The Problem With Subluxation
Subluxation is the misalignment of the spine. This imbalance affects your nerves, affecting other parts of your body. Without properly communicating with your central nervous system (CNS), people with spinal misalignment are prone to aches, pains, and other health problems.

Consider all of the millions upon millions of nerve cells in your gut. They rely on your spinal cord to communicate with your brain, which affects the rest of your body.

Subluxation addresses individual vertebrae that have come out of place. For people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Crohn's disease, and other digestive problems, issues may stem from the clusters of nerve cells in the lower back that connect to the stomach and GI tract.

Pinched or compressed nerves in this area can make it harder for your body to process, digest, and absorb nutrients from food. This can result in digestive symptoms such as gas, stomach ache, diarrhea, bloating, and constipation.

By treating underlying subluxation, chiropractic care can improve nerve cell communication and improve nerve function.

Improving Spinal Function and Muscle Movement
Another key element of chiropractic care is promoted muscle function. By encouraging the muscles to relax, chiropractors help the body perform its natural processes more efficiently.

Releasing nerve compression can also help tense muscles inside the body loosen up and move as they’re meant to. People with digestive problems can help the body break down and process food more efficiently.

You might notice that after spinal adjustment, your body feels lighter than usual. This occurs as vertebrae move back into place. The subluxation can be mild or severe, and the effects of realignment can equally be subtle or highly noticeable immediately.

The best way to keep your spine healthy is to stretch, exercise, and consider routine adjustments with a licensed chiropractor. They can help gently align your vertebrae with treating underlying symptoms in other body parts.

Find Relief With Pure Health and Wellness
Contact Pure Health and Wellness today to learn more about how we can help you. We rely on foundational chiropractic principles to help clients experience greater daily health and wellness.