If you are trying to control your heartburn and
GERD by popping fistfuls of antacids or other medications, you are
most likely not succeeding. But the relief you are looking for can
be easily achieved with proper diet and acupuncture.
Many people suffer from occasional Gastrointestinal issues,
especially after eating spicy, fatty or fried foods. The burning
feeling in the neck, throat, chest and even heart feels painful but
the good news is that something can be done about it.
What is GERD?
GERD is short for gastro-esophageal reflux disease
is the result of acid reflux. With this disease, your esophagus
becomes swollen and painful due to the acid that your stomach is
kicking back up towards your throat.
When you have GERD, the sphincter muscle relaxes to the point that
the acid from the stomach travels back up your esophagus. This means
that the acid that is digesting the food in your stomach is able to
head back up your esophagus, and it starts to eat at the lining of
your esophageal walls.
Roughly 25 to 40 percent of the adults in the U.S. suffer from some
variety of GERD, with as much as 10 percent of the population
experiencing it on a regular basis.
Causes of GERD
The cause of acid reflux, or gastro-esophageal
flux disease (GERD), is unknown to doctors at this time.But natural
health practitioners believe GERD is lifestyle related and can be
caused by being overweight, smoking, diet rich in fatty foods, spicy
greasy food, caffeinated drinks and certain medications.
Doctors usually prescribe medications to counter the symptoms.
Unfortunately, these medications can end up causing some nasty side
effects. Several studies looked at acupuncture being able to relieve
the symptoms of GERD because it alters the secretion of acids,
affecting gastrointestinal movement.
The Evidence of Acupuncture's Effect on Acid
Reflux and GERD
A study conducted by the American Journal of
Physiology reported that stimulating specific acupuncture points can
aid in the relaxation of esophageal sphincter by over 40 percent.
This study showed that electrical acupuncture is able to reduce the
symptoms of acid reflux which is considered transient lower
esophageal sphincter relaxations (TLESRs).
By applying only mild stimulation to an acupoint on the wrist known
as Neiguan, researchers were able to reduce the frequency of TLESRs
from six to 3.5 an hour in research subjects. Sham stimulation of a
hip point produced no comparable change.
Another study examined the results of adding acupuncture treatments
vs. a double dose of standard GERD medication in patients who hadn't
found complete relief using a single dose of a proton pump
inhibitor. At the end of the study, patients who received the
acupuncture treatment in addition to a single dose of GERD
medication had significant decrease in both day and nighttime
heartburn and acid regurgitation compared with their initial
heartburn.
Patients who were given a double dose of medication did not show any
significant changes in heartburn compared with the beginning of the
study.
Contact
Laurie to treat your acid reflux with acupuncture in
Santa Monica.
Related:
Reflux,
IBS,
Digestion
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