Hiatal Hernia as a Common Cause for Acid Reflux Indigestion Heartburn and other Digestive Disorders

That burning feeling from the pit of your stomach isn't always due to acid reflux. Sure, some people do overproduce acid, yet a large majority of people also under-produce acid.

A simple history and symptom survey of a patient is not enough information to prescribe the common acid-reducing drugs such as Prilosec, Zantac, Tagamet, and Pepcid. Otherwise, serious digestive side-affects can occur and cause long term problems such as Osteoporosis, due to calcium dysregulation. There's no sense in taking Calcium Tums, you need acid to breakdown calcium, so avoid this marketing gimmick.

The fact is, as we begin to age our bodies start to lose much of it's zinc, which is absolutely necessary to produce acid in the stomach. So why are so many people taking acid-reducing drugs, particularly the elderly? Zinc is the mineral that allows the stomach's cells to produce acid. A simple aqueous zinc taste test or taste tally will often demonstrate a zinc deficiency.

Much of acid reflux (or the symptoms of acid reflux), including heartburn, indigestion, esophageal spasms, and eventually Barret's Esophagus, are caused by hypochlorhydria, or a lack of acid.

In order to tell if there is too little or too much acid, there are several options...the pH of the stomach can be measured directly or a simple acid challenge can be performed. Two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in a 8-10 oz glass of water is sufficience enough to provide an "acid challenge" to the stomach. If this causes irritation, then it is likely that there is, in fact, too much acid in the stomach, yet many people indicate that the apple cider vinegar mixture provides relief of their stomach symptoms.

The idea to take away from this is that either too little or too much acid can cause symptoms of heart burn, acid reflux, indigestion, and pain in the chest. Most often it is too little acid.

A hiatal hernia is a common mechanical problem between the stomach and the diaphragm muscle (this muscle allows breathing to occur). In this condition, the stomach is pushed up into the diaphragm, which can cause a whole host of digestive problems as far up as the mouth and as low as the colon. Spasming in this area can make it hard to swallow food, create a feeling of something being "stuck" in the throat, impair proper digestion, TMJ dysfunction, and headaches as well.

Shortness of breath, symptoms of acid reflux, heart burn, indigestion, esophagus spasming, and sudden onset of neck and jaw pain are common indicators of hiatal hernia and hypochlorrhydria (low acid).

Chiropractors trained in Applied Kinesiology are able to easily detect such a dysfunction because of the additional training received in evaluating the entire body, particularly the digestive system. Hiatal Hernias can be manually reduced (using the hands) without the typical approach of surgery. In many difficult cases, the hernia may need to be treated multiple times due to the formation of scar tissue and myofascial adhesions. With proper home instruction and dietary evaluation, many stomach and digestive issues abate quickly.

Chiropractic and Pediatric Care

Choosing the right healthcare team for a mother and newborn is probably one of the most distressing choices that can face first time parents. Beyond that, what if something is wrong? Can birth defects be avoided? The literature certainly indicates that birth defects and child developmental problems can certainly be avoided, or atleast identified early enought to ensure proper development.


The first step is...don't panic. From the beginning of fertilization until giving birth, pregnancy can be a challenging event; for the mother and baby. There are many chemical changes that occur during pregnancy that can place a significant stress on muscles, ligaments, bones, and other tissues.

Ever wonder why pregnant women get stretch marks? It doesn't occur to every woman, and it certaintly isn't just due to stretching. It may come as a shock, but healthy moms don't experience this change. This type of appearance occurs primarily in pregnant women and overweight individuals due to Increased Cortisol levels and Insulin Sensitivity. It is called Catabolism. Catabolism means that the body is cannabilizing (eating) itself to meet its protein needs, which are insufficient.

Pregnancy presents such a stress to hormones and digestion that it often will impair the mothers digestions of protein and other much-needed nutrients from food. Will this starve the growing fetus?...To some degree, but the mother is generally the one who will suffer the most because she has poor digestion and absorption of protein and is trying to meet the demands of eating for two. Proper nutritional recommendations, which many physicians are not trained to give, is necessary to balance these effects. Unfortunately, most medical educations do not include nutritional training due to such a strong focus on Pharmacology (drugs).

Because of this lack of training, generalized nutritional recommendations are often prescribed from recent "buzz" words or trends, such as an all-in-one prenatal vitamin or multi-vitamin. Even after just a few years of nutritional training, many novice doctors would reasonably know that nature did not intend for "all-in-one" supplements for something as complex as the human body. This is where natural intelligence meets intellect, or nature vs. man's reasoning, rather.

It is particularly recommended that prenatal vitamis with copper be avoided, due to it's effect on raising estrogen levels. Many spontaneous abortions or miscarriages can be caused by high estrogen levels in relation to low progesterone (progesterone, not progestins-the drug form, is protective to the fetus and keeps the body from recognizing the placenta and developing baby much like it recognizes a tumor...for more information read about the formation of a trophoblastic cancer cell)

Please subscribe to this blog's RSS Feed because there will be a follow up at some point comparing a growing cancer tumor and a developing fetus. The significant difference between the two is that progesterone protects the baby from being treated like a growing cancer (trophoblast). Tests that measure a body's production of a chemical marker called HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin), can either be identifying a pregnant female, a female with cancer, or a male with cancer. Understanding this relationship is also key to understanding how to stop cancerous growths.

The chemical and hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy have a very specific effect on ligaments, tendons, and muscles that support the spine and other joints. Low back pain is the most common symptom among pregnant women. The ligaments are preparing for birth, yet they shouldn't be stretching so much. The combining effect of insulin (blood sugar fluctuations) and cortisol (anti-inflammatory hormone) will create ligament laxity (stretchiness) which is the most basic cause of low back pain and sciatica (leg pain often radiating to some other area, often the knee or foot. Gentle Chiropractic techniques are very favorable with this type of condition. Many Chiropractic tables are designed to allow a woman to lie on her stomach, safely, while having her back examined.



Since muscular, ligament, and joint misalignments often are preceded by chemical and nutritional changes, it is also wise to search-out a doctor who is well-versed in physical symptoms as well as chemical/nutritional/hormonal ones.



An Applied Kinesiologist (AK) is trained in all of these areas...you may find an AK doctor by visiting http://www.icakusa.com/ to search for an AK doctor near your home, or by visting our website at http://www.chapelhillchiropracticcentre.com/, to reserve an appointment with Dr. Fox. In office evaluations, as well as phone consultation, are available to determine if Applied Kinesiology and Chiropractic is appropriate for you.

What is Applied Kinesiology

Over the years, many professions, including chiropractic, physical therapy, osteopathy, allopathy, and massage, have developed useful techniques and methods to alleviate chronic/acute pain, rehabilitate muscles, relieve headaches, remove sciatica, and provide comfort and healing to patients.

Applied Kinesiology is a method of diagnosing the nervous system and discovering intereference in the nervous system and related tissues, including muscles, ligaments, tendons, organs, glands, and vascular/lymphatic structures. Since George Goodheart discovered Applied Kinesiology in 1964, it has grown and incorporated many different techiques across a wide diversity of professions. Most doctors trained in Applied Kinesiology are Chiropractors, yet the technique is available for any licensed doctor to learn. Applied Kinesiology, an advanced method of testing the nervous system, takes years to learn and often a lifetime to master, making it much different than traditional Kinesiology, which is taught in some undergraduate colleges.

Muscle testing is the primary method by which Applied Kinesiologists diagnose nervous system imbalances. This testing ability allows a properly trained Applied Kinesiogist an added tool in uncovering underlying causes for a patient's condition. Muscle testing does not replace standard method of diagnosis, yet it complements them. This means that doctors trained Applied Kinesiolgy may also use other forms of testing to validate their findings, including x-ray, MRI, blood, saliva, hair mineral, or stool testing, etc.

"Patients prefer Applied Kinesiology methods of testing because it is more comprehensive than most musculoskeletal techniques in discovering muscle and joint dysfunctions."

The way in which our nervous systems are designed often allows for many different causes for our pain or discomfort. The brain and spinal cord, the master control system of our body, sends thousands of nerves to different parts of our body by way of the spinal column. At time, the same nerve that controls a muscle may also have control over a particular organ or gland. In this manner, a muscle injury can cause an impairment in an organ/gland, or a problem developing in an organ/gland will cause dysfunction in a related muscle. This is called "referred pain". A type of referred pain that many people are familiar with is left arm pain because of a heart problem, heart attack, etc. A second, less familiar syptom, is mid-back or right shoulder blade pain due to gallbladder congestion or "gall stones".

So why is there pain? And What can I do about it? Can a Chiropractor Help?

Chiropractic manipulation is very effective at relieving joint pain associated with muscle imbalances, particulary low back pain, neck pain, and headaches. In fact, pain relief is noted almost immediately by many chiropractic patients. Chiropractic and Applied Kinesiology offer an unbeatable pair, which combines the highly effective methods of diagnosis by Applied Kinesiology and standard Chiropractic exam, with the ability to use Chiropractic manipulation in conjuction with other popular methods such as physical therapy, massage, lymphatic release, myofascial release, cranial and sacral adjustments, as well as acupuncture.

What types of problems is Applied Kinesiology useful for?

This list can be very extensive, though many patients seek the advice of a Chiropractor-Applied Kinesiologist for joint pain in the spine and extremities (including foot, ankle, knee, shoulder, wrist, and any other bony articulation).

Other common problem that Applied Kinesiologists are able to help with are as follows:

Joint pain
Muscle Pain
Thyroid (hyperthyroidism/hypothyroidism)
Adrenal Gland Fatigue/Adrenal Gland Exhaustion
High Blood Pressure, Low Blood Pressure
High Cholesterol
Liver/ Gallbladder dysfunction (Gallstones, etc.)
Blood Sugar Imbalances, Diabetes and Diabetic condition
Acid Reflux, Hiatal Hernia, Heartburn
Sciatica
TMJ (Temporo-Mandibular Joint Dysfunction)
Numbness/Tingling in Joints
Female & Male Hormonal Balance

About the Author:

Dr. Ryan E. Fox is a Chiropractor and Applied Kinesiologist at the Chapel Hill Chiropractic Centre, located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He has been trained in over 600 hours of Applied Kinesiolgy and additional training outside of his Chiropractic degree, earned at Logan College of Chiropractic. Dr. Fox provides outpatient Chiropractic and Applied Kinesiology services as well as nutritional consultations, in-office or by phone. To seek further consultation, please call the Chapel Hill Chiropractic Centre at 919-968-4417 to reserve an appointment

Welcome to the Chapel Hill Chiropractic Centre

Dr. Ryan E. Fox has announced the Grand Opening of Chapel Hill Chiropractic Centre, located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Dr. Fox is an Integrative Chiropractic physician and certified Applied Kinesiologist.

Dr. Fox says, “Applied Kinesiology and Chiropractic combine the traditional benefits of Chiropractic plus Acupuncture, Nutrition, Body Detoxification/Cleansing, and Hormone Balancing. This approach is very beneficial to our patients because it often allows us to relieve their pain quickly, as well as identify the underlying “cause” so symptoms will not return quickly.”

This powerful combination of evaluation and treatment options gives Chiropractors trained in Applied Kinesiology a unique ability to identify dysfunctions in the muscle and skeletal systems, providing quick pain relief. For a list of symptoms that Dr. Fox commonly treats, please follow this link to the Chapel Hill Chiropractic Centre

Dr. Fox is one amongst several Chiropractors in Chapel Hill and the Triangle Region that practice the comprehensive approach of Applied Kinesiology.

Chapel Hill Chiropractic Centre is located at 1717 Legion Road in Chapel Hill, only minutes from Interstate 40 at Exit 270. You can learn more about Dr. Fox and the services he provides at his family chiropractic practice by visiting http://www.chapelhillchiropracticcentre.com/ or by contacting his office for further info 919-968-4417