The Brain-Intestine Connection
Date : 28-Jul-2013

Hello Everyone,
Do you suffer from anxiety, and depression?
If so, you're not alone! More than 27 million Americans are taking some form of medication to reduce their symptoms of anxiety/depression. What's even more depressing is that these antidepressants don't even work for over half of those people.
My philosophy on health and healing is that in order for any health disorder to heal, you must address the underlying cause. This takes a little bit of work plus knowledge.
I recently attended a seminar in Functional Medicine which discussed the latest research which documented a connection of anxiety disorders to bowel dysfunction.
At first you might say: "that's ridiculous". However ridiculous it might sound, it is true.

According to the latest studies, 50-90% of patients with panic disorder and anxiety also complain of intestinal problems such as constipation, diarrhea, and bloating. I might add that of these patients, many also suffer from chronic pain because chronic bowel disorder can be a major cause of chronic inflammation and pain.
This is not such shocking news if you understand the neurology behind it. 90% of the brain centers synapse in the vagal centers of the brain stem. The vagal centers supply the autonomic nervous system which regulates all of you organs and glands (intestines included).
They also know from studying samples of the intestines that there is large amounts of nerve tissue in the gut that it correlates directly with the brain establishing a feedback loop brain to gut/ gut to brain.
It gets very complex, but to keep it simple, we can begin to get a feel for why people who have any kind of intestinal disorder would also develop symptoms of anxiety and depression, and anyone with anxiety could also develop intestinal problems.
Either way, both systems need to be treated. I use herbs and supplements to balance the neurotransmitters in the brain and supplements to stimulate proper bowel function. Coupled with upper cervical adjustments with frees the brainstem from any nerve irritation, we can easily see how these disorders can be successfully treated using an all natural holistic chiropractic approach.
If you or a family member suffer from any of these disorders, please call my office today and schedule an exam to see how you can be helped.
Until next time......
To Your Health,