Digestive problems can be frustrating, embarrassing even. They can be occasional. Most of the time, however, they are chronic. They can ruin your day, your week, your vacation, or your special occasion. We are here to help at New Life Chiropractic in Fort Wayne, In.

We're talking about unpleasant complaints such as diarrhea, constipation, bloating, cramping, excess gas, stomach pain, heart burn or acid reflux, and countless other symptoms. Have you ever had one of these digestive issues ruin your day?

Millions who do usually turn to medication for temporary relief, or what's worse- -surgery. Ouch! Most people who rely on medications for problems are only treating the symptoms not the cause. Many easily fall into the trap of becoming dependent on such medications. For example, those dealing with constipation can easily become laxative-dependent. Their bodies get so accustomed to laxative use that their gastrointestinal tract ends up relying on chemical stimulation to work. Is there a better solution than popping a pill several times a week or even several times a day?

Make the Connection

Digestive problems are more than just issues with the digestive system. Let's take a step back and look at the body as a whole. It has quite a few major, complex systems--muscular, skeletal, circulatory, lymphatic, nervous, digestive, and so on. When we look at the body as a whole, we recognize how interconnected all these systems truly are.

Many digestive problems can be traced back to the nervous system. The nervous system communicates with all systems throughout the body, and the digestive system is no exception. In fact, the digestive system is under direct control of the autonomic nervous system. Nerves that make up this system help stimulate digestion in various organs, such as the liver, stomach, and intestines.

Now that we've established this connection exists and is closely tied, it's easy to understand a simple truth: a healthy spine and nervous system means optimal digestive function!

A Healthy Nervous System is a Healthy Digestive System

The moment the nervous system is under stress, such as when the spine is misaligned or a nerve is irritated or under unnecessary pressure, there is usually a direct impact on the digestive system.

After all, if a nerve is pinched or under pressure, the message that nerve needs to send to a specific organ may not get through properly--it may be unclear or even lost. Imagine if your bowels didn't get the "memo" that they need to be emptied! No further details necessary.

Conversely, a healthy nervous system allows cells to communicate efficiently and function at their best. For optimal digestive function, we need to make sure our nervous system "keeps in touch" properly with digestive organs, such as the small intestine, colon, stomach, esophagus, etc. When your spine and nerves are healthy, your digestive system can do the following:

• innately decide exactly how much acid you need to produce to break down food you just consumed
• extract the nutrients (for example vitamins and minerals) you need from food and absorb it efficiently
• keep out toxins your body doesn't need and prevent waste from sitting in your body longer than it should
• control the secretion of digestive enzymes and hormone release from glands to aid digestion
• comfortably eliminate waste
• receive the proper amount of blood supply to various digestive organs

What about all those frustrating digestive issues though? What does spine alignment and chiropractic care have to do with, say, constipation or diarrhea?

Good question. Taking good care of your spine and nervous system honors your body's innate ability to heal and function normally.

Consider the autonomic nervous system, which includes two subsystems: the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. These two subsystems "speed up" or "slow down" various processes in your body. When they are in perfect balance, everything runs smoothly. When they are imbalanced, however, the organs they supply will malfunction.

For example, if the parasympathetic ("speed up") nervous system dominates, you could be dealing with diarrhea because of too many signals. On the other hand, if the sympathetic nervous system dominates, you could be dealing with slowed down digestive activity, such as constipation.

A healthy diet and lifestyle can, no doubt, reduce digestive irregularities. Combine these with a regular program of spinal adjustments and chiropractic care and feel your digestive system work at its full potential. Get your spine checked today!

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to treat, diagnose or prevent disease.