Hiatal hernia is a somewhat mysterious condition causing a multitude of reflux related symptoms. Oftentimes, we find a hiatal hernia in patients and they don’t even realize it.
Some symptoms are noticeable early on, while other problems may stay hidden for a while before manifesting in their own way. Conventionally, these issues are treated acutely with antacids or medications to calm the stomach acid for the time being. However, this doesn’t fix the root cause of your symptoms in the first place; if you stop taking those antacid meds, the symptoms return.
At Active Edge, our doctors provide both immediate and long-term relief for your hiatal hernia symptoms. Therapies for immediate relief will be temporary, however, if we do not identify and address the cause of the hiatal hernia. By correcting the problem at its root, we can help you appreciate both immediate and long term relief that lasts without relying on meds.
A hiatal hernia occurs when the top of the stomach is forced upwards through the diaphragm into the thoracic cavity. This is called a “sliding hiatal hernia.” Part of the reason why this happens is because the stomach has some stress acting on it, weakening the sphincter between the stomach and the esophagus, allowing stomach acid to rise and lead to mild to severe digestive discomfort and lack of nutrient absorption as well. This stressor is what needs to be identified and eliminated to allow your stomach and sphincter to operate properly.
The majority of people who suffer from hiatal hernia don’t even know that it is the cause of their issues. It can show up as a variety of symptoms including:
Hiatal hernias can be caused by a number of activities but the most common causes include:
While most treatments for this problem begin with antacids and other stomach soothers, these can lead to even more problems, even if they do bring immediate relief to your current symptoms. The reality is, your stomach is supposed to be acidic, so calming the stomach acid with TUMs is only covering up the issue at hand. In fact, long-term use of antacids can raise the pH of the stomach too much to throw it all out of balance and cause additional issues.
If you have a hiatal hernia and are having problems, Active Edge can help in several ways. Certain chiropractors, including Active Edge practitioners, have been specially trained in manipulation techniques that can be used to reduce your hiatal hernia immediately. There are also diet and supplement options that can bring long-lasting relief. Finally, we can review your specific hiatal hernia issues and develop a complete program that will help to reduce or even eliminate the issues associated with it.
If one of our doctors suspects a hiatal hernia during your visit, they may check for and perform a hiatal hernia adjustment. Sometimes this procedure is all a patient needs to relieve their symptoms. but more often than not, some extra therapy or lifestyle changes are necessary to keep that hiatal hernia from coming back.
The first step we take to check for hiatal hernia is to use applied kinesiology to check the stomach for a response. This is done by using the patient’s arm as a gauge to see if there is a muscular or neurological block in the stomach. We challenge moving the stomach up the body and pulling the arm towards the feet in order to see if the arm stays strong or if the arm breaks. If the arm stays strong, there is no neurological sign of hiatal hernia. If the arm breaks down to the feet, this gives us an idea there may be some hiatal hernia present in our patients.
To confirm this finding, Dr. Hensel pulls down on the stomach, which mimics a corrected stomach, and then tests the arm again.
If the arm stays strong this time, this is an indication that performing a hiatal hernia adjustment will correct the stomach placement, and will give the patient relief from symptoms.
To confirm this finding, your doctor will pull down on the stomach, which mimics a corrected stomach, and then test the arm again.
If the arm stays strong this time, this is an indication that performing a hiatal hernia adjustment will correct the stomach placement, and will give the you relief from symptoms.
To perform a hiatal hernia adjustment, the process starts with the patient taking a couple deep breaths in and out. Once the patient is relaxed and ready, the doctor will place his fingers over the stomach on the inhale of the patient. This is easily managed because both the diaphragm and stomach move down on the inhale.
Once Dr. Hensel’s fingers are around the stomach (the stomach feels like a water balloon), the patient exhales and Dr. Hensel gently moved the stomach down towards the feet to the correct placement of the stomach. The hiatal hernia adjustment, with dietary and supplemental changes, can have profound effects on relieving many common symptoms as mentioned above.
After an adjustment is complete, to maintain stomach alignment, we must determine what stressors are acting on your stomach, causing it to rise upwards in the first place: physical, chemical, emotional, etc. Your regimen for maintenance may require muscle or fascia work, diet and nutritional supplementation, or even detoxification.
As Doctors of Chiropractic, our education is based on the foundation that our bodies are intelligent and interconnected. Our curriculum includes more nutrition education than medical doctors and some of the most in-depth training in anatomy, microbiology, diagnosis, and vertebral subluxations. We recognize the importance of all systems functioning well together, focus on prevention, and continue to refine our knowledge to heal problems from the inside out.
With studies under some of the Functional Medicine greats including Bob Rakowski, Jeffery Bland, Mark Hyman, and Jeff Bryst, our doctors have spent countless hours enhancing their coaching techniques, studying bioavailable diagnostic tests (blood, hair, skin, nails ), and gaining in depth knowledge of supplements, tinctures, essential oils.
We view the whole body as a system to provide the most comprehensive care, using nutrition and supplementation as primary tools to heal the root of dysfunctions in your body. Patient’s often feel positive improvements in pain reduction, less bowel issues, enhanced energy, and more, as they implement the tools they need for healing naturally and holistically.
Most people experience discomfort or pain in the chest and upper abdomen area, typically occurring during or shortly after meals.
Hiatal hernias can flare up when you eat too much, eat too fast, if you lay down after a meal, or if you exercise immediately after a meal. If you feel full and are straining various muscles, that can cause the stomach to be pushed up, causing a flare up. Food sensitivities may also cause flare ups so if you know what foods cause that to happen, avoid them.
A hiatal hernia can be fixed via a hiatal hernia adjustment, as mentioned above, or in a worst case situation, hiatal hernia repair surgery. The severity of the condition would dictate what is required for your specific situation.
Large hiatal hernias, exceeding 7 centimeters (2.8 inches) or ones encompassing over 50% of the stomach will often require surgical intervention. In emergency situations if the stomach twists, leading to obstruction or ischemia (insufficient blood flow), surgery may also be necessary.
At this point, you are feeling better than you ever thought you could as you are feeling energized and thriving. You have learned a lot about your body, you are moving more efficiently, you understand your body’s cues, and you have a good idea of what to do with these cues. This means you get to try new things, achieve new goals, and conquer new challenges! As you do, we will be here as your resource, as needed, to help you nourish, boost, and refresh your health.
Pain is generally the last symptom to show up and the first to go away. This means that by the time you realize there is a problem, there has been a problem for a long time. Especially for chronic or recurring issues, understanding how you got to where you are is so important for getting to where you want to go. In this stage of your journey, you will resolve underlying dysfunction, remove cheats, and retrain habits. As we aid you in activating your body’s natural healing potential, we will help you regain movement, energy, and body function both inside and outside. Throughout this process, you will start to feel greater ease and inspiration as you restore communication and efficiency in your body. Together, we will constantly assess, observe, and reassess your body’s responses to boost your results.
You are your own person, with your own collection of life events which brought you to where you are today. You deserve to be heard, seen, and treated as the individual you are. Your journey begins with your Discovery Evaluation. This first visit includes your exam which works to uncover the root of your issue(s), new patient diagnostics, and, of course, your first treatment. This is how we will help you begin connecting the dots and feeling better. After your first treatment, we will ask you to observe your body’s responses– good, bad, or indifferent. There is no wrong answer as this is just starting point information and direction for moving forward. In your second visit, we will review this feedback and your diagnostics to further identify potential underlying causes and compensations. We will combine everything we have learned about you, consider your goals, and together create a plan to resolve your concerns from the roots up.
