Baton Rouge Spinal Manipulation and VNS May Help Gastroparesis (Stomach Issues)

Stomach pain and related issues can upset more than the stomach. The body is filled with nerves from the head to the toes, and the stomach is in the middle of it all! The vagus nerve is one of the largest nerves extending from the brainstem to the abdomen. What’s in the middle of the abdomen? The stomach! (Talk about a brain-gut connection!) Gastroparesis sufferers’ days are disturbed by nausea, pain, delayed stomach emptying, and even vomiting. (1) Spine & Sports Rehab Center shares new studies about some less invasive potential treatments like vagal nerve stimulation and even spinal manipulation that may help calm the stomach and ease the upset for Baton Rouge stomach pain patients.

GASTROPARESIS

For those who suffer with gastroparesis, the symptoms may include any number of problems they would like to 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 described and tied to the nervous system, particularly the vagal nerve that extends throughout the body. No matter what triggers gastroparesis, most patients experienced 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 limited in its effect because of the physiological complexity of gastroparesis. (1) Baton Rouge gastroparesis patients at Spine & Sports Rehab Center appreciate knowing 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 methods incorporated the use of a self-administered vagal nerve stimulator that was reported to improve 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) enhanced gastric frequency and better regulated digestion. To the researchers, this demonstrated 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 wrote that slow breathing normalized vagus nerve activity and reduced psychophysiological stimulation making it useful in behavioral medicine. (4) Spine & Sports Rehab Center offers that VNS may benefit Baton Rouge chiropractic patients who have gastroparesis and even chronic pain related to back pain and/or neck pain.

SPINAL MANIPULATION

Your Baton Rouge chiropractor is here to help with chiropractic skills and treatments to help gastroparesis sufferers, too! And they come in all ages – adults and kids. Pediatric functional abdominal disorders involved problems with digestion issues. Children with functional abdominal disorders have 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 reaches), electrical stimulation, diet changes, pro/prebiotics, etc., also now incorporate acupuncture, yoga, and spinal manipulation. (5) That is our forte at Spine & Sports Rehab Center: spinal manipulation!

CONTACT Spine & Sports Rehab 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.       

Make your next Baton Rouge chiropractic appointment with Spine & Sports Rehab Center. Bring your pain issues to us. We will work up 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."