Natural Acid Reflux and Heartburn Treatment
Acid reflux is estimated to affect more than 66 million Americans every year. While over-the-counter medications can provide some degree of symptom relief, they rarely address the underlying cause of acid reflux.
What is Acid Reflux?
Acid reflux is a very common and highly debilitating digestive disease. Sometimes linked to hiatal hernias, acid reflux is usually caused by a combination of unhealthy lifestyle habits and disrupted gastrointestinal (GI) contraction.
Acid Reflux Symptoms
Often associated with stomach discomfort and heartburn, acid reflux typically leads to one or more of the following symptoms:
- Heartburn: The most common symptom of acid reflux, heartburn is characterized by a sensation in the chest that veers between uncomfortable and straight up painful.
- Dyspepsia: More commonly known as indigestion, dyspepsia is a burning sensation in the upper section of the stomach.
- Regurgitation: If the lower esophageal sphincter is backed up, people may experience the deeply discomforting feeling of food and liquids moving back up through the throat.
- Sour taste in the mouth: Excess backwash of stomach acid in the mouth and throat can leave a lingering unpleasant taste at the back of the mouth.
- Sore throat: Increased acidity in the throat and mouth often causes inflammation in the throat lining, leading to a lumpy throat, difficulty swallowing, and/or a hoarse voice.
How the Upper Cervical Spine Affects Acid Reflux
The length and severity of an acid reflux episode is often dependent on the contraction capacity of a person’s GI tract. Contraction in the GI tract is controlled by the central nervous system (CNS) and specifically, by the mid-cervical vagus nerve. When patients have a misalignment in the upper cervical spine, they’ll often suffer from limited stimulation in the region around the vagus nerve, leading to erratic contraction of the GI tract and thus more severe acid reflux episodes.
How Our Acid Reflux Treatment Works
Acid reflux treatment for the upper cervical spine is designed to remove any impedance between the CNS and the striated muscles of the GI tract. The first step in our treatment program is to identify whether a patient is suffering from a misalignment in the upper cervical spine, a process that typically involves both objective chiropractic tests and a non-invasive Cone Beam CT (CBCT) scan. Armed with this information, we’ll be able to locate the exact angle and direction of a spinal misalignment.
Don’t worry, we are trained to avoid techniques that pull, crack, or twist any part of the spine or neck. Instead, we use precise adjustment techniques to gently manipulate the upper cervical vertebra, correcting the misalignment and reestablishing a stable spinal posture.
We offer acid reflux treatment and consultation throughout the Las Vegas and Clark County area. We’ve also expanded our operations to a number of neighboring states, including California, Arizona, and Utah.