Pflugerville Spinal Manipulation and VNS May Help Gastroparesis (Stomach Issues)

Stomach pain and related issues can upset more than the stomach. The body is full of nerves from the head to the toes, and the stomach is in the middle of it all! The vagus nerve is one of the biggest nerves spreading from the brainstem to the abdomen. What is in the middle of the abdomen? The stomach! (Talk about a brain-gut connection!) Gastroparesis sufferers’ days are interrupted by nausea, pain, delayed stomach emptying, and even vomiting. (1) Pflugerville Wellness Center offers new studies regarding some less invasive potential treatments like vagal nerve stimulation and even spinal manipulation that may help calm the stomach and ease the upset for Pflugerville stomach pain patients.

GASTROPARESIS

For those who suffer with gastroparesis, the symptoms may consist of a variety of problems they’d rather not have. Researchers explained that any number of factors combined can trigger gastroparesis and disrupt quality of life. The metabolic feedback connection between the gut and brain have been defined and tied to the nervous system, specifically the vagal nerve that travels throughout the body. Regardless of what causes gastroparesis, most patients demonstrated problems with the brain-gut innervation by means of the vagus nerve and/or intestinal nervous system. (2,3) Medical treatment so far has been imperfect in its effect due to the physiological complexity of gastroparesis. (1) Pflugerville gastroparesis patients at Pflugerville Wellness Center will like having some options for helping them with this condition.

TREATMENTS FOR GASTROPARESIS: VNS

Researchers noted that medical therapy has been limited in its ability to help. Vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) was said to be promising though.  More invasive surgical stimulation of the vagus nerve has been tried with some success. New, non-invasive approaches incorporated the use of a self-administered vagal nerve stimulator that reported improved gastric emptying for some. (1) Such a stimulator simulated the surgical cervical vagal nerve stimulation. (4) Stimulating vagal afferents with transcutaneous (through the skin) auricular (ear) vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) helped gastric frequency and controlled digestion. To the researchers, this showed that brain stimulation influenced gut function. (2) They are linked, the brain and the gut! Adding slow breathing to taVNS showed promise in addressing anxiety, chronic pain, depressive disorders, insomnia, and cardiovascular diseases, too. Researchers explained that slow breathing normalized vagus nerve activity and decreased psychophysiological stimulation making it useful in behavioral medicine. (4) Pflugerville Wellness Center offers that VNS may benefit Pflugerville chiropractic patients who experience gastroparesis and even chronic pain associated with back pain and/or neck pain.

SPINAL MANIPULATION

Your Pflugerville chiropractor is here to help with chiropractic skills and treatments to assist gastroparesis sufferers, too! And they may be old or young – adults and kids. Pediatric functional abdominal disorders involved struggles with digestion issues. Children with functional abdominal disorders experience digestion and/or nausea issues after eating. Drugs are often prescribed. Non-drug treatments like stimulation to the external ear (an area the vagal nerve extends to), electrical stimulation, diet changes, pro/prebiotics, etc., also now incorporate acupuncture, yoga, and spinal manipulation. (5) That is our experienced skill at Pflugerville Wellness Center: spinal manipulation!

CONTACT Pflugerville Wellness Center

Listen to the PODCAST with Dr. James Cox on the Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he explains the vagus nerve, its influence on the nervous system, and how to blend its stimulation with the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management in relieving pain.       

Schedule your next Pflugerville chiropractic appointment with Pflugerville Wellness Center. Bring your pain issues to us. We’ll design a treatment plan to help!

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"This information and website content is not intended to diagnose, guarantee results, or recommend specific treatment or activity. It is designed to educate and inform only. Please consult your physician for a thorough examination leading to a diagnosis and well-planned treatment strategy. See more details on the DISCLAIMER page. Content is reviewed by Dr. James M. Cox I."