I’m a male, 48, 5′ 9″, 155 lbs., a non-smoker, and a practicing vegetarian most of the time (my Achilles’ heel: sushi. Love it, can’t live without it).
Approximately one year ago I was experiencing chest pains and heartburn. The chest pains were such that I thought I was experiencing early warning signs indicating possible heart attack. Relative to the heartburn; it seemed not to matter what I ate, because everything upset my stomach, and also made me belch, incessantly, at times.
Luckily, my high school buddy is also one of the best chiropractors in the Long Island/New York area. Once I explained what was going on within me, he immediately assessed that I was suffering from a “hiatal hernia.”
A hiatal hernia occurs when part of the stomach protrudes up into the chest through the sheet of muscle called the diaphragm. This may result from a weakening of the surrounding tissues and may be aggravated by obesity and/or smoking. Often, people with hiatal hernia also have heartburn or GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disorder). Although there appears to be a link, one condition does not seem to cause the other, because many people have a hiatal hernia without having GERD, and others have GERD without having a hiatal hernia.
My chiropractic friend accurately noted that people with a hiatal hernia sometimes experience chest pains that can easily be confused with the pain of a heart attack. He also detailed a related story of one of his patients. That poor guy was mis-diagnosed by doctors, who did, indeed, attribute his pains to heart problems. Subsequently, they went on to issue a rash of expensive tests and wrongly prescribed drugs, neither of which did a thing to relieve the guy’s pain. By accident, he just happened to attend an appointment he made with the chiropractor, for seemingly unrelated back problems, and disclosed his tale of woe. In an instant, the chiropractor examined the guy and correctly pinpointed his condition: hiatal hernia.
Relieved that my condition was not-in any way-life threatening, assisted by my chiropractor’s intermittent treatment, I began a process that has led to complete recovery from both conditions.
My chiropractor’s treatment, specific to the hiatal hernia, consisted of a chiropractic technique that provides relieve to the diaphragm. In effect, this technique, “adjusts” the stomach area, causing the protruding section of the stomach to slip out of its position within the diaphragm. This allows the diaphragm the opportunity to heal itself.
Abetting the adjustments, I changed one very important eating habit; I stopped eating after 7 PM, allowing my digestive system to completely rid my stomach of all food prior to bedtime. This helped, because an empty stomach seemingly will not press upon the diaphragm when one is laying on their back (my preferred sleeping position).
Another simple exercise, also advised by my chiropractor: front lunges. I do 3 – 5, per day, in the morning while showering. They are simple to execute by putting your hands on your hips and simple lunging for with one leg. Keep your back straight and drop down to a position where you opposing knee gets to a position about 6″ off the ground. Alternate legs. This exercise also helps by “pulling down” the stomach in equal, alternating repetitions. (It’s also a great leg and back stretch too!)
Relative to the accompanying acid reflux, AKA GERD, I made a few dietary changes too. These were made on the advice of a nutritionist and healer. His diagnosis of my condition, specific to the GERD,
which by that time was full-blown, and accompanied by the aforementioned, very displeasing, belching condition, was that the cilia within my stomach were debilitated. In effect, their condition was not allowing my body to absorb nutrients. To that end he recommended the following treatment regimen.
I start off each day by taking a blue/green algae capsule. During the day I take 1 -2 enzyme tablets with each meal. With my daily salad, I take one fish oil tablet.
The combined efforts of my chiropractor and the nutritionist/healer, abetted by my adherence to their sage treatments and advice, have helped me to eradicate both conditions.
Now, to quote Dennis Miller, “I don’t want to go off on a rant here, but…”
But, when I browse the Internet and see the multitude of “cures” for hiatal hernias (surgery and drugs being first and foremost amongst the offerings) and GERD (more drugs, less surgery) I shake my head, and fists, wondering, in anger, how any so-called expert, or doctor, or specialist, would recommend surgery for either of these conditions (except for those rare sufferers whose already debilitated medical conditions, and poor health, require such drastic measures). Really, a bit of chiropractic and some astute nutritional augmentation, coupled with one’s adherence to prescribed home care practices, I’ll bet the farm that most people suffering from either, or both, of these conditions will rid themselves of their problems within six months, tops.
Sure enough, one might have to forego some of their favorite foods, and change their eating timetable, but such changes will merely serve to benefit them while ridding them of two bothersome medical conditions without employment of invasive surgery or needless drugs.
