Irritable Bowel Syndrome
“My leg pain has disappeared, I am now toilet trained well – to the extent that I can almost go every day now – my migraines are not as frequent, my blood pressure is normal (I had that tested recently), I sleep like a baby most nights, my concentration is a lot better and motivation has improved.”
Irritable Bowel Syndrome has in many instances become a hand-wave diagnosis due to its complex nature and myriad causes. IBS can have elements of constipation and diarrhoea, or alternation between the two.
When I first heard that psychological counselling was a good treatment for IBS, I was intrigued by the “gut-brain axis”; what conclusions to draw from so many people having constipation or diarrhoea as a side issue with their other neurological complaints, and why adjusting the spine helped.
“Gut decisions” probably involve the enteric (bowel) nervous system to some degree, and explains why when you’re nervous you get “butterflies”. IBS is believed to stem from miscommunication between the central (brain) and enteric nervous systems. More specifically, an inhibition of the corticolimbic system, which means emotional dysregulation. There may be other intraluminal factors like abnormal gut flora and the popular gluten intolerance, but these probably tie back into dysregulation of the neuro-immune connection, most likely broken down by the primary cause of psychosocial stress.
Changes in mood, immune and gut function are among the first things to alter in the breakdown of nervous system function. In IBS patients, brain imaging shows that areas most activated include thalamus, insula, anterior cingulate cortex, amygdala, and brainstem (upper spine). Looking at the diagram below, the green areas represent the parts of the automatic nervous system which attempt to maintain harmony in the body. The red arrows show how these parts control gut function and, interestingly, skin (see Case of the Month: Psoriasis). One of chiropractic’s main roles is to normalise the green bits. This is done by analysing the spine via neurological exam, assessing the autonomic nervous system with technology, and providing correct stimulation by way of adjustment.
I remember one instance where a woman received her first upper cervical correction after many months of constipation, and later that night at a dinner function, had to sit with her legs crossed trying to hold in the build up that finally knocked at the door. I’m sure the faces were a curious expression of pleasure and pain. Read more
Chronic Hip Pain
“As I sighed with relief he said, “We’ll have you dancing on the table, Norma.” I almost believed him!”
This is a well rounded story of physical, mental and emotional success – more or less – and also simply people helping people with the words we have to offer each other. I had to walk on water, and Norma had to dance on tables. After about 6 months, I think we each managed a bit of both. Also, a very well written story I might add as one might expect from a school teacher!
I have suffered from a dodgy back for many years, and had become adept at ‘managing’ it: which actually, I now realise, was a euphemism for ‘putting up with it.’ Less easy to live with was the recent onset of sciatica which was so severe that I was having difficulty walking more than a couple of hundred meters. Add to that the sudden and totally unexpected ending, by email, of a thirty-year relationship, a pain in my hip that had me worrying about hip replacement, a growing problem with balance, increasingly bad posture, low energy and an excruciating pain in one of my toes that woke me most nights, and I guess you could say I’d become a bit of a mess! The end of the school year could not come fast enough. Read more