The Medical Approach to Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Other Misunderstood Conditions can be Frustrating

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Many people today are seeking natural irritable bowel syndrome relief because they are frustrated with the medical approach. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a little understood illness that still has the stigma of not being a real disease to many ignorant people and doctors.  There is no test for IBS. Diseases that have no tests are diagnosed through exclusion. This means that doctors must do tests to rule out all other possibilities and IBS is only diagnosed when all other illnesses are ruled out.  People with IBS experience pain and cramping, and diarrhea or constipation, or both. As with other misunderstood conditions such as fibromyalgia, brain imaging of patients with IBS has found a loss in brain tissue and the patterns are very similar to fibromyalgia and other chronic pain issues.

Fibromyalgia

Many people struggling with symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome also have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia symptoms includes pain, stiffness, fatigue, and difficulty sleeping.

Perhaps studies of brain changes and chronic pain may help researchers and doctors better understand illnesses like Irritable bowel syndrome and fibromyalgia.  The latest research is suggesting that fibromyalgia has a connection with the central nervous system and is the result of a malfunction, or dysfunction, of the central nervous system.  A. Kuchinad and colleagues studied 10 women who had fibromyalgia and compared them with 10 women who did not have the illness. Among the women with fibromyalgia, Kuchinad’s team found a reduction in brain tissue that wasn’t found in the controls. This finding was backed up by yet another study not long after.  Other research has shown awake like brain activity in patients with Fibromyalgia when sleeping.  No REM sleep leads to the unrefreshed sleep common with the condition.

So what is wrong with the central nervous system with people who are suffering with these mysterious conditions?

A Common Underlying Cause?

Frequently, an undetected head or neck injury that is affecting the brain is related to both of these conditions.  An upper neck misalignment causes pressure on the central nervous system at the level of the atlas (top bone in the neck).  When accidents and injuries tear loose the connective tissue that holds the spine together it will create a weakness and allow the spine to break down and lock into a stressed position.  The most vulnerable area of the body to trauma is the upper neck because it is the most movable area of the entire body.  If that top bone is misaligned it disrupts the function of the centralnervous system.

We have seen hundreds of patients with upper neck misalignments in our practice and frequently it is an underlying cause of conditions like Fibromyalgia and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.  A common scenario is a person will have a head or neck trauma earlier on in life, leading to the head and neck being significantly misaligned and that misalignment is causing pressure into the brain stem.  As the pressure is removed the body begins the healing process.  The longer that nervous system has been dysfunctional the longer it takes to heal.  Eventually you will see a decrease in pain and stiffness, sleep improves and energy increases.

Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome have similar results.  As the nervous system begins sending the proper messages to the digestive system again…digestion frequently becomes normal.

So does this type of care help everyone with Fibromyalgia and Irritable Bowel Syndrome?  Of course not!  Nothing is 100%.  But if you have had a head or neck trauma prior to the onset of the symptoms thenUpper Cervical Chiropractic could be the answer that you have been looking for. Click here to see if you are candidate for care.

Dr. Lauren Millman of Suwanee Spine and Wellness is an Upper Cervical Chiropractor who has helped many people find natural relief from irritable bowel syndrome in Suwanee, Georgia. Her upper cervical clinic also serves the communities of John’s Creek, Sugar Hill, Buford and Duluth. She is uniquely trained to correct problems in the upper cervical spine (upper neck). This vital area is intimately connected to the central nervous system and problems in this area have been shown to be an underlying cause of a variety of different health problems, including migraines, fibromyalgia, trigeminal neuralgia, high blood pressure and irritable bowel syndrome. More information can be found on her website at http://www.suwaneespine.com