Digestive Disorders like Hyperacidity & Constipation

Believe it or not, Osteopathic treatment helps your digestion. This might be hard to swallow and so to speak, but any type of Osteopathic approach directly or indirectly can improve your digestion.

If you suffer from functional digestive problem such as IBS, Reflux, Constipation and or Bloating, your osteopath can help. From a classical Osteopathy point of view, digestion is partly a mechanical process; it is well known that walking can help you if you are constipated.

Osteopathy is unique in its ability to assess and treat the motion of abdominal organs using visceral manipulation techniques. Fascia and ligaments attach the organs of your digestive tract to neighbouring organs and to the deep abdominal wall and diaphragm. There are also attachments to your ribs, pelvis and spine.

In visceral manipulation, the motion of the organ itself is addressed, whilst ensuring that the level of the spine innervating these organs is mobile and not in distress. A spinal restriction can lead to altered nerve signaling to the organs supplied by that vertebra. If altered nerve signaling persists, dysfunction can manifest in the organ over time causing digestive problems. This sends a distressed signal back to the spine causing more soft tissue and vertebral restriction, creating a “facilitated segment” of that part of the spinal cord, thus perpetuating the pain cycle

The vagus nerve exits the base of your skull, journeys down the front of your neck into your chest and abdomen. Osteopathic Practitioners release soft tissue and joint restrictions in the cranial base and upper neck, as this is a common zone of compression for your vagus nerve.

In health, there is a relative balance between the rest and digest function of your parasympathetic vagus and the fight or flight response of your sympathetic nervous system. If your sympathetic nervous system is in overdrive because of continued stress, or pain of physical or emotional origin, the balance between the two can be disrupted. Stress can lead to digestive disorders, interfere with peristalsis, cause sphincters to improperly open and close, affect stomach acid production, permeability of the gut wall and gut bacteria imbalance.