Page 23 - Summer2018

symptoms) until this adjustment was performed tine and pancreas. When someone consuming Stress
to pull the stomach back down through the LES the SAD also overuses antibiotics, birth control
into its natural abdominal position. pills, cortisone or other medications and thereby (especially
The adjustment is done with the patient alters the natural probiotic flora that inhabit the emotional
upright. I use my adjustment table, which can human intestine, these two factors go hand-in- upset) is
be raised to a near vertical position, and the hand to create the perfect GERD storm. An
patient simply lies back while in a somewhat altered gut flora, combined with overconsump- another
standing position (Figure 3). I position myself tion of refined carbohydrates, creates the ideal variable that
on the patient’s left side and gently place my environment for fermentation, leading to bloat- cannot be
hands (using the first four digits of each hand ing, distention of the abdomen and a weakening
aligned from left to right horizontally and in of the abdominal wall, which limits the patient’s overlooked
the shape of an upside down “V”) just lateral to ability to breathe diaphragmatically. The toxins as a

and below the xiphoid process (lower sternum) and organic acids produced by opportunistic causative
and rib cage. I then tell the patient to follow my bacteria also further damage the stomach and
instructions regarding breathing so that we are intestinal lining. factor in
in sync with each other. This is very important, Although practitioners rarely discuss food GERD.
because the adjustment can be a bit uncomfort- combining when treating gastrointestinal prob-
able, and tenseness in a patient can prevent the lems like GERD, I have found it to be very ef-
procedure from being effective. fective and have used food combining principles
As the patient breathes diaphragmatically in my practice for many years to simplify the
in through their nose and releases the air out digestive process for my patients (see sidebar).
through their mouth, I begin to apply firm pres- The reason for streamlining digestion is to
sure from anterior to posterior and cephalad to minimize the likelihood that foods will irritate
caudad (down toward the floor with the patient the gastric lining. By paying attention to the
vertical). I then hold this firm pressure for foods one puts together at any one meal, it is
approximately thirty seconds while instruct- possible to avoid putting extra demands on the
ing the patient to continue breathing with his stomach, enabling it to function more efficiently
diaphragm. I will often instruct the patient as and with ease.
he is breathing to attempt to push the abdomen Another consideration when treating a
out as if to push my hands off of the abdomen. patient with GERD should be to limit the con-
Doing so will encourage patients to breathe sumption of water and other beverages with
with their diaphragm (something most people meals. Drinking copious amounts of water
do not do anymore) and help to squeeze or push during meals serves to dilute the stomach’s
the fundus of the stomach back down through hydrochloric acid, thereby raising the stom-
the LES. It works remarkably well and is usu- ach’s pH. In much the same way as the other
ally only necessary one or two times to achieve factors described above, this creates relative
success. Many times during this procedure, the hypochlorhydria and, therefore, poorly digested
patient and the practitioner will feel the stomach food. Ultimately, this can aggravate the stomach
release back down into the abdomen. lining and lead to GERD.

STANDARD AMERICAN DIET STRESS AND GERD
Most Americans, whether they know it Stress (especially emotional upset) is an-
or not, are eating a diet of “dead” foods. The other variable that cannot be overlooked as a
caustic, highly processed standard American causative factor in GERD. Stress activates the
diet (SAD) is overloaded with refined, highly sympathetic nervous system, and in doing so
processed pseudo-foods that are devoid of the overrides parasympathetic control of digestion,
natural enzymes present in whole, unadulterated signaling the stomach to decrease stomach
foods. This lack of life-giving enzymes places a secretory activity. In today’s modern world,
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larger burden on the entire digestive tract, and stress is everywhere we look, in the way we
especially the stomach, gallbladder, small intes- drive, the way we rush to work and even in

SUMMER 2018 Wise Traditions 21