Little Stomach Acid Often Causes Heartburn

Little Stomach Acid Often Causes Heartburn

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Are you one of the 20 percent of Americans with acid reflux and heartburn? You’re probably thinking that the problem is due to too much stomach acid, but in many cases it’s the opposite causing the problems – too little stomach acid is the culprit behind those fiery episodes that feel like they’re burning a hole in your chest.

The environment of the stomach is highly acidic so that it can quickly break down meats and other foods, protect you from poisoning and infection from bacteria, fungi, and other toxins, and help you better absorb minerals. Good stomach acidity also helps ensure smooth function of the rest of the digestive tract and can help relieve not only heartburn but also indigestion, belching, gas, constipation, bloating, yeast overgrowth, food allergies, and other symptoms related to compromised digestion.

Various factors can cause insufficient stomach acid. Stress, bacterial infection, poor diet, and nutritional deficiencies can hinder the stomach’s production of hydrochloric acid (HCl), or stomach acid. The most common cause of low stomach acid is infection from H. pylori, a bacteria also linked with stomach ulcers.

Pernicious anemia, hypothyroidism, a deficiency of zinc, B12, magnesium, or chloride can also contribute to the problem. Long-time vegetarians or vegans may be deficient in zinc and B12, as these are found in meats, and may need the support of HCl supplementation when adding meat back into their diet.

The stomach contents must be very acidic to trigger the release of food from the stomach into the small intestine. When stomach acid is too low it fails to trigger this release because the contents are not the right acidity to safely enter the small intestine.

As a result, the trapped food shoots back up into the esophagus. Although stomach acid is too low, it is still too acidic for the delicate tissue of the esophagus. This causes that fiery burning and pain of heartburn and acid reflux.

Antacids or acid blockers bring temporary relief but may cause long-term problems with your overall digestive function. Proper acidity of the stomach triggers the pancreas to secrete digestive enzymes and the gallbladder to secrete bile. Enzymes and bile help ensure proper nutrient absorption, fat emulsification, protection against infections and parasites, and proper functioning of the large intestine.

Chronically low stomach acid hinders the function of these organs, often leading to larger problems throughout the digestive tract.

If stomach acid is too low the most important thing to do is address the root cause, whether it is nutritional deficiency, hypothyroidism, or an H. pylori infection. You can also boost stomach acid by taking an HCl supplement. Just be aware that if you have gastric lesions or an autoimmune reaction to the tissue in your stomach, an HCl supplement could make you feel worse.

Solutions for Depression

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Depression (major depressive disorder) is a complicated issue and by definition can only be diagnosed if a patient has persistent feelings of sadness and loss of interest not just for days but for months in a row.

It can stem from a neurotransmitter imbalance. In such case, a visit to an MD is warranted who will prescribe specific pharmaceutical medication that will help the patient.

It can stem from a chemical imbalance. In such cases, your body is missing the building blocks that are needed to create a natural cycle of neurotransmitters, necessary to make your brain feel good. A visit to a nutritionist is warranted in such cases. Some of the supplements that have been shown to help by research are: St Jones Wort, Fish Oil, Omega 3/6 supplementation, 5-HTP, Gaba, Rhodiola, CoQ10, L-Tyrosine, magnesium and Ashwagandha. If you are taking prescribed pharmaceuticals, it is important to consult with an MD, before taking any of the above, as they may affect the chemistry of a pharmaceutical agent, and may make you feel worse.

It can have psychological roots, such as after a motor vehicle accident, where a patient can feel sad due to not being able to execute certain functions of daily living as before the accident.
In such cases, a visit to a psychologist is warranted, who may offer cognitive behavioral therapy to overcome depression.

Depression may also stem from neuromuscular skeletal reasons. For instance, when the upper neck goes out of alignment, it can negatively affect the brain and the spinal cord in three main ways.
One is it prevents proper blood drainage from the brain. When that happens, it may cause depression and anxiety. By getting that upper neck in good alignment by correcting the misalignment with a specific adjustment, you’re ensuring good blood drainage through the jugular vein.

Secondly, when the upper neck is out of alignment, you’re affecting cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow. When you’re not getting good, healthy CSF flow into the brain, it’s just not going to work right. CSF brings electrolytes and nutrition feeding the brain. If you’re not feeding the brain what it needs, you can’t expect it to work right. By getting that upper neck in good alignment with a specific adjustment, that CSF flow will happen properly and the brain will function much better, thus improving anxiety, depression, and different mood issues.

Lastly, upper neck misalignment may cause brainstem tension. The brainstem is like the circuit breaker in the human body. No matter what issue you have – anxiety or depression you want to make sure that the brainstem is in good alignment because that controls your immune system, your heart, everything you don’t think about. By getting that in good alignment, you’re going to automatically allow everything else to function better. It’s kind of like if the circuit breaker trips and the lights go off, you can change the light bulb, you can get an electrician and they can work on it but until you go to that circuit breaker and flip that switch, nothing is going to work right. If your upper neck is out of alignment, a chiropractor can help by realigning your neck.

More Solutions to Chronic Pain

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Chronic pain is a debilitating condition that affects people all over the world. In the North America, the prevalence of chronic pain is estimated at 30.7%, and spine and musculoskeletal disorders account for nearly 70 million physician office visits annually and 130 million outpatient, hospital, and emergency room visits. For persons under the age of 45, low back pain is the leading cause of disability. Back-related disabilities are also the most prevalent cause of disability in the military. To reduce treatment costs, as well as disability and absenteeism from work, acute pain cases (less than 6 weeks in duration) must be prevented from becoming chronic pain cases (more than 3 months in duration).

To address this challenge, the functional restoration treatment approach was developed in the 1980s in the United States. Economic aspects of chronic pain care were consequently addressed by a few studies. Gatchel et al clearly demonstrated the cost effectiveness of an early multidisciplinary intervention in acute low back pain patients who were identified as having a high risk for chronicity. Schweikert et al found that the cost of adding cognitive behavioral treatment to standard therapy was largely offset by lower indirect costs.

Evidence-based, novel, and cost-effective care pathways can be used to quickly and effectively triage the target-patient population at a central entry point. Treatment plans focus on a cross-disciplinary and multimodal approach to pain control utilizing evidence-based medical therapy, as well as on functional restoration and multidisciplinary pain rehabilitation programs that have been proven effective. Given the large population of patients affected by chronic back pain and the high and rapidly rising cost of treatment, comprehensive and multimodality delivery models are imperative for efficient triage, functional restoration, and pain rehabilitation.

One of the main goals of a Chronic Pain Rehabilitation Program is to wean patients off opiates so they avoid the short- and long-term side effects of chronic opioid management. The well-known side effects of opioids are nausea, sedation, euphoria or dysphoria, constipation, and itching. With chronic use of opioids, most side effects subside, as patient tolerance to side effects seems to be greater than tolerance to analgesic effects.

Sources Cited:
Johannes CB, Le TK, Zhou X, Johnston JA, Dworkin RH. The prevalence of chronic pain in United States adults: results of an Internet-based survey. J Pain. 2010 Nov;11(11):1230–1239.
Gatchel RJ, Polatin PB, Noe C, Gardea M, Pulliam C, Thompson J. Treatment- and cost-effectiveness of early intervention for acute low-back pain patients: a one-year prospective study. J Occup Rehabil. 2003 Mar;13(1):1–9.
Schweikert B, Jacobi E, Seitz R, et al. Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of adding a cognitive behavioral treatment to the rehabilitation of chronic low back pain. J Rheumatol. 2006 Dec;33(12):2519–2526.

Acupuncture for Fertility

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Recently researchers discovered that when acupuncture was combined with some pharmaceutical medications used to stimulate ovulation, it was more effective than hormonal pharmaceuticals alone for the treatment of infertility. The combination of acupuncture plus pharmaceuticals produced significantly higher pregnancy rates for women with anovulatory. This data was published in the report entitled Effects of Acupuncture on the Endometrium in Anovulatory Cases Treated by Clomiphene: A Clinical Observation.

The addition of acupuncture to pharmaceutical therapy increased pregnancy rates, lowered the resistance and pulsatility indices of the uterine arteries, and reduced the adverse effects caused by a pharmaceutical fertility drug. The increase in positive patient outcomes combined with reductions of adverse effects supports the findings of the research team’s from Taian Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital. Their conclusion, “TCM [Traditional Chinese Medicine] can be either applied alone or combined with Western medicine to up pregnancy rates and treat infertility. With the help of TCM acupuncture, treatment for infertility can be more effective while producing much less adverse effects.”

The researchers conclude that the addition of acupuncture to a pharmaceutical treatment regimen mitigates the drug’s adverse effects and ups the pregnancy rate.

The TCM acupuncture treatment protocol was as follows. Patients rested in a supine position. Upon disinfection, a 0.30 mm x 40 mm filiform needle was inserted into the following acupoints:
•CV4 (Guanyuan)
•CV3 (Zhongji)
•Zigong
•ST29 (Guilai)
•SP6 (Sanyinjiao)
•ST36 (Zusanli)

CV4, CV3, Zigong, and ST29 were inserted transverse-obliquely (15° angle) to a depth of 1–1.2 cm. SP6 and ST36 were needled perpendicularly and manipulated with the Ping Bu Ping Xie (tonify and sedate) technique. Additional acupoints were administered based on differential diagnostic patterns.

For liver qi stagnation, the following acupoint was added:
•BL18 (Ganshu)
For phlegm and dampness, the following acupoint was added:
•ST40 (Fenglong)

For blood stasis, the following acupoints were added:
•SP10 (Xuehai)
•LV2 (Xingjian).

Work Cited: Effects of Acupuncture on the Endometrium in Anovulatory Cases Treated by Clomiphene: A Clinical Observation. Journal of Taishan Medical College. 2016, 37(9):1029-1031.

Keeogo for Knee Hip Osteoarthritis

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Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee and hip is the most common chronic condition affecting patients over the age of 70. It is estimated that in adults over the age of 30, up to 6% of adults are symptomatic of knee arthritis and around 3% are symptomatic of hip arthritis. The prevalence of osteoarthritis increases with age, and with an aging population, the effect of this disease will represent an ever-increasing burden on health care.

Osteoarthritis of the hip and knee is the most common cause of difficulty in walking. It has a huge impact on the economy, with absence from work and early retirement exceeding 2% of the gross domestic product. It is estimated that over 1 million total hip replacements are performed worldwide each year, and in Canada and the United States alone it is predicted that between 1995 and 2020 an additional 19 million people a year will be affected by arthritis.

When the biomechanics of the hip and knee joint are altered or overused, the joint becomes more prone to the changes of osteoarthritis. Anatomical variants in hip morphology in the population have been linked to the development of osteoarthritis.

Obesity, previous knee injury, and sports activity have been shown to be risk factors for the incidence but not disease progression of OA of the knee. In the Western world up to 23.6% of men and 23.8% of women are regarded as obese. Both men and women with a BMI > 28 have been found to be 1.7 times more likely to have hip OA than those with a BMI < 24.5 . Occupational habits are also known to be a risk factor, with the risk of knee OA significantly elevated in those whose job involves more than 30 minutes per day squatting, kneeling, or climbing stairs, with one study finding the prevalence rate of osteoarthritis in female cleaners over six times higher than expected. The impact of sports activity and previous injury has also been shown to be a risk factor for developing OA. In a group of retired England football players, 51% of players who retired through a football related injury were diagnosed with lower-limb OA compared with 25% of players who did not retire through injury. A recent technological breakthrough has allowed patients with hip and knee OA to achieve a remarkable improvement in their lifestyle. Without the KeegoTM device, patients had a difficult time moving their legs, had to stop when taking stairs from exhaustion, had a difficult time picking up objects from the floor, exerted strenuous effort, when getting up from a chair to walk down the hall. Same patients wearing a KeegoTM device were able to achieve healthy movement patterns during several clinical trials. These same patients were able to walk about quicker, had no trouble walking up or down the stairs, picked up objects from the floor with little effort, and were able to easily sit down, and get up from the seat without propping themselves up with their hands.

Intramuscular Stimulation for Chronic Pain

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Intramuscular Stimulation (IMS): What is it and how can it help get rid of your chronic pain?

In this article I am going to focus on the treatment of chronic muscle and nerve pain and why it can be so difficult to find a solution for this type of pain. It is estimated that over one third of the adult population in North America suffers from chronic pain. That is a staggering statistic! This means that 1 of out of every third person out on the street is dealing with ongoing daily pain. Research shows that suicide is nine times more prevalent in people with chronic pain than with depression and it is estimated that in Canada and United States, chronic pain affects more people than diabetes, cancer and heart disease combined.

So, why is chronic muscle and nerve pain so common? To understand this question we have to look at the gradual process that happens to all of our bodies to some degree over many years. As harsh as it sounds, the reality is that as we age our bodies are slowly ‘rotting’. By the time we reach our 50’s and 60’s we will all get some amount of arthritis in our spine. How fast we ‘rot‘ depends on a variety of factors including our overall fitness levels, nutrition, the types of jobs we do, family genetics and any traumatic injuries we sustain along the way ie. motor vehicle accidents. As the arthritis in the spine progresses, the nerves that exit the small spaces between each spinal bone (vertebrae) start to become irritated. In response to this irritation, the muscles that these nerves supply then start to form tight bands. These bands are the ‘knots’ you feel when you rub sore muscles. The muscle bands not only cause pain but they also begin to pull at joints and tendons as well as compress the already sensitive nerves at the spine. These tight bands often do not respond to traditional treatment approaches such as stretching, massage and spinal manipulation.

A form of treatment that has been gaining popularity in the last 5 to 10 years for chronic muscle and nerve pain is Intramuscular Stimulation (IMS). This treatment technique was developed by a Doctor in Vancouver by the name of Dr. Chan Gunn. Dr. Gunn developed this technique while working with people who were injured on the job and whose pain was not going away with traditional treatment approaches. What he found in these patients was that by stimulating their tight muscles with an acupuncture needle, the pain very often significantly improved or in many cases disappeared.

So the key to addressing this chronic pain process is to release the muscle tension. In an IMS treatment, when the needle enters the taut band the muscle will ‘grab’ the needle and a deep, cramping sensation is felt. Once the muscle grabs it then typically will ‘reset’ itself and begin to relax. When the tight muscle relaxes, a decrease in pain typically follows. IMS is now being recognized and used by physiotherapists and doctors around the world to treat chronic pain of musculoskeletal origin. If you are suffering from ongoing muscle or nerve pain and haven’t had success with traditional types of treatment, IMS may be worth trying.

Don’t take your arthritis lying down

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Years ago, doctors hardly ever told rheumatoid arthritis patients to “go take a hike” or “go for a swim.” Arthritis was considered an inherent part of the aging process and a signal to a patient that it’s time to slow down.

However, recent research and clinical findings show that there is much more to life for arthritis patients than the traditional recommendation of bed rest and drug therapy.

What Is Rheumatoid Arthritis?
The word “arthritis” means “joint inflammation” and is often used in reference to rheumatic diseases.
Rheumatic arthritis is also a rheumatic disease, affecting about 1 percent of the U.S. and Canadian population (about 2.1 million people.) Although rheumatoid arthritis often begins in middle age and is more frequent in the older generation, young people and children can also suffer from it. Rheumatoid arthritis causes pain, swelling, stiffness, and loss of function in the joints.

Several features distinguish it from other kinds of arthritis:
• Tender, warm, and swollen joints.
• Fatigue, sometimes fever, and a general sense of not feeling well.
• Pain and stiffness that last for more than 30 minutes after a long rest.
• The wrist and finger joints closest to the hand are most frequently affected. Neck, shoulder, elbow, hip, knee, ankle, and feet joints can also be affected.
• The condition is symmetrical. If one hand is affected, the other one is, too.
• The disease can last for years and can affect other parts of the body, not only the joints.

Should Arthritis Patients Exercise?
Exercise is critical in successful arthritis management. It helps maintain healthy and strong muscles, joint mobility, flexibility, endurance, and helps control weight. Rest, on the other hand, helps to decrease active joint inflammation, pain, and fatigue. Arthritis patients need a good balance between the two: more rest during the active phase of arthritis, and more exercise during remission.
During acute systematic flares or local joint flares, patients should put joints gently through their full range of motion once a day, with periods of rest. To see how much rest is best during flares, patients should talk to their health care providers. If patients experience unusual or persistent fatigue, increased weakness, a decrease in range of motion, an increase in joint swelling, or pain that lasts more than one hour after exercising, they need to talk to their health care providers.

Nutritional Recommendations
Nutrition may provide complementary support to arthritis medications. Some foods and nutritional supplements can be helpful in managing arthritis:
• Fatty-acid supplements like eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and gamma linolenic acid (GLA). Deep-sea fish, (salmon, tuna, herring, and halibut) are excellent sources of EPA and DHA. Black currants and borage seed contain GLA.
• Turmeric, ginger and nettle leaf extract.
• A vegetarian or low-allergen diet.

The benefits and risks of most of these agents are being researched. Before taking any dietary supplement, especially if you are using medication to control your condition, consult with your health care provider.

How Can Chiropractic Help?
If you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, your doctor of chiropractic can help you plan an exercise program that will:
• Help you restore the lost range of motion to your joints.
• Improve your flexibility and endurance.
• Increase your muscle tone and strength.

Doctors of chiropractic can also give you nutrition and supplementation advice that can be helpful in controlling and reducing joint inflammation.

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