NATURAL

SOLUTIONS
TO
DIGESTIVE
PROBLEMS
1
 Over 61 Million
people in America
suffer from some type
of digestive complaint
such as acid reflux,
hiatal hernias,
irritable bowel
syndrome, ulcers,
colitis, Crohn’s
Disease, and many
others.
Source: Regional Medical Center, www.rmccares.com; National Center for Health Statistics, Division of Data Services, August 27, 2001. 2
 In 2000,
pharmaceutical
companies sold over
$96 billion in drugs
to treat digestive-
related conditions;
many of them with
adverse side effects.

Source: Lebhar-Friedman, Inc., in association with The Gale Group and LookSmart, 2001, Mosby’s GenRx, Tenth Edition, 2000. 3
 The purpose of this workshop is to
provide you with facts concerning
digestive-related conditions and the
natural treatment options available
to help you make an informed
decision regarding the steps you can
take to restore healthy digestive
function.
4
 The digestive system
MOUTH is composed of the
ESOPHAGUS
following:
STOMACH • The mouth, which
begins the digestive
process through
enzymes in the saliva.
• The esophagus
carries food from the
mouth to the stomach.
Source: National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, www.niddk.nih.gov; Regional Medical Center, www.rmccares.org. 5
 • The stomach
expands, mixes food
with digestive fluids,
STOMACH and empties into the
small intestine.
• The small and large
intestines dissolve and
digest the food until the
nutrients are absorbed
LARGE SMALL
INSTESTINE INSTESTINE through the intestinal
walls.
Source: National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, www.niddk.nih.gov; Regional Medical Center, www.rmccares.org. 6
 TONGUE
SALIVA
Organs that assist
GLANDS
the digestive system
are the tongue, saliva
LIVER GALL
glands, pancreas,
BLADDER
liver and the gall
bladder. They assist
by secreting enzymes
that help break
PANCREAS
down and digest
food.
Source: National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, www.niddk.nih.gov; Regional Medical Center, www.rmccares.org. 7
 The digestive system performs two
vital roles in the body:
• It breaks down food into absorbable
nutrients, like vitamins and minerals, to be
transferred into the bloodstream and utilized
by the body.
• It protects the body from harmful
substances which can cause disease or
infections.
Source: Nutritional Pearls, vol. 23-24. 8
Let’s look at the most common digestive complaints:
Acid Reflux
Also called acid indigestion or heartburn, acid reflux
is one of the most common forms of digestive upsets
that affects as many as 61 million Americans.
Acid reflux manifests itself as a burning sensation in
the chest that often moves up to the throat and neck
and can be caused by a variety of lifestyle factors,
including stress, dietary habits, caffeine, alcohol, and
nicotine consumption, and the use of certain pain
medications.
Source: Regional Medical Center, www.rmccares.org.; Dr. Minocha, Chief of Gastroenterology at the Southern Illinois University School of
Medicine, www.diagnosishealth.com. Coping with Chronic Heartburn, Elaine F. Shimberg, 2001. 9
Hiatal Hernia
Hiatal hernia is a condition in which the stomach
pushes up into the chest through the diaphragm at the
esophagus.
This can force stomach acids and food back into the
esophagus causing acid reflux, inflammation of the
esophagus, and even restricted blood flow.
Although hiatal hernias generally affect people over
the age of 50, all age groups are susceptible.
Hiatal hernias are primarily caused by severe
coughing, vomiting, straining, or sudden physical
exertion.
Source: Regional Medical Center www.rmccares.org. 10
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
IBS is an intestinal disorder thought to be
caused primarily by stress and/or diet, that
results in cramps, abdominal pain, constipation
and/or diarrhea.
IBS affects up to 15% of all Americans, and
according to the Journal of the Royal College of
Physicians, 63% of chronic fatigue sufferers
were also diagnosed with IBS.

Source: Regional Medical Center, www.rmccares.org.; The Internist, volume 5, #2, June 1998, p.32. 11
Stomach and Peptic Ulcers
Ulcers affect about 1 in 10 Americans. Of the 5
million people diagnosed with ulcers each year,
40,000 of them end up in surgery and as many as
6,000 die due to ulcer-related complications.
Ulcers are open sores or lesions found in the
stomach or the small intestine. Symptoms include a
gnawing or burning pain in the abdomen, nausea,
vomiting, loss of appetite or weight, and fatigue.
Factors in the development of ulcers include diet,
stress, medications, and alcohol or tobacco use.
Source: Regional Medical Center, www.rmccares.org. 12
Diarrhea
Diarrhea may be acute or chronic and can be
triggered by one or more conditions, including
infection, food allergies, stress or reaction to
medications.
The symptoms of diarrhea include cramping,
abdominal pain, frequent or watery bowel
movements, nausea, and fever.
One of the most serious complications of
diarrhea is dehydration.
Source: Regional Medical Center, www.rmccares.org., National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disorders. 13
Ulcerative Colitis
Ulcerative colitis is a condition in which the large
intestine (colon or bowel) and the rectum become
inflamed.
The condition generally affects people ages 15 to
40 and is thought to be caused by viral or bacterial
infection. Symptoms of ulcerative colitis range
from abdominal pain, diarrhea, and fatigue to
dehydration and anemia. Indicators may also
include skin lesions, rash, joint pain, and
inflammation of the eyes.
Source: Regional Medical Center, www.rmccares.org. 14
Crohn’s Disease
Like ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s Disease is an
inflammatory bowel disorder that primarily
affects the small intestine, but may also affect
other areas of the digestive tract.
Men and women are affected equally by
Crohn’s Disease, and about 20% of the cases are
found to be hereditary. The major symptoms of
Crohn’s Disease are abdominal pain, diarrhea,
weight loss, and fever.
Source: Regional Medical Center, www.rmccares.org. 15
A Hiatal Hernia is Acid Reflux is the
when a portion of back up of acid from
the stomach the stomach into the
protrudes above the esophagus.
Esophagus
Sphincter.

Hiatal Hernia Acid Reflux

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To determine what
problem you might
have, and to help
you decide on the
natural solution
that might best
help you, please fill
out the following
Digestive Survey.
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In order to fully understand these
conditions, one needs to know: how
diet and stress can affect the
nervous system.

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The nervous
system controls
all of the tissues,
cells and organs
in the body,
including the
digestive system.

19
The breakthrough research in 1976 by
Hans Seyle, M.D., documented that
during periods of prolonged stress, the
nervous system can cause the over-
secretion of the adrenal hormone
ACTH, which inhibits digestive
function, and increases the risk of
gastric ulcers.
Source: “The Stress of Life”, Hans Selye, M.D., McGraw Hill 1996, pp. 259-264. 20
 A more recent study
in 2001, conducted at
a major hospital in
Sweden, found that
stress-related
conditions directly
contributed to
gastrointestinal
symptoms.
Source: Digestion, 2001; 63:108-115 “Food related gastrointestinal symptoms in the Irritable Bowel Syndromes” Department of Internal
Medicine, Sections of Gastroenterology and Hepetology and Clinical Nutrition, Institute of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, and Asthma and
Allergy Centre, Sahigranake University Hospital, Goteborg, Sweden. 21
Another 2001 study done at the
Cleveland Clinic in Ohio came to
similar conclusions as Dr. Seyle, which
found when a person is under stress,
the body diverts blood flow away from
the digestive system resulting in
indigestion, diarrhea, constipation,
incontinence, or colon spasms.
Source: Coping with Chronic Heartburn, Elain F. Shimberg, 2001. Tarun Mullick, M.D., gastroenterologist - The Cleveland Clinic, Ohio; Lady’s
22
Home Journal, November 2001.
 Stress also
increases acid
production
which can
aggravate ulcers
and contribute to
acid reflux.
Source: Coping with Chronic Heartburn, Elain F. Shimberg, 2001. Tarun Mullick, M.D., gastroenterologist - The Cleveland Clinic, Ohio; Lady’s
Home Journal, November 2001. 23
The nervous system can malfunction
as a result of 3 types of stress:
1. Physical stress from falls,
accidents, poor posture and lack of
exercise,
2. emotional tension,
3. and chemical imbalances due to
dietary inefficiencies.
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It is interesting to note that
one of the major symptoms
resulting from a neck injury
includes digestive disorders
resulting from physical
trauma to the spine.
Source: “Long-Term Consequences of Whiplash: Allergy; Breathing, Digestive and Cardiovascular Disorders; Hypertension and Low Back Pain”,
A. Croft, DC, MS, FACO, FACFE Director, Spine Institute of San Diego, San Diego, California, 2000. 25
Any program to
help eliminate
digestive problems
should include an
examination and
evaluation of the
function of a
person’s spine and
nervous system.
26
Nutritional and
herbal products
have been found
to be helpful
with certain
digestive
problems.
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For example, according to a 2000 article in the
Journal of Integrative Medicine, it was found that
there are certain herbs and supplements which can
assist the digestive system with restoring normal
function.
Aloe vera, licorice,
ginger, and the herb
peonae, are thought to
be effective in relieving
gas and acid reflux.

Source: International Journal of Integrative Medicine, Vol. 2, No. 5, Sept/Oct 2000. 28

 Another 2000 article
found nutrients useful
in the relief of Irritable
Bowel Syndrome
include B complex,
omega 3 essential fatty
acids, probiotics,
selenium, zinc,
magnesium, vitamin C,
folic acid, and
bioflavanoids.
Source: International Journal of Integrative Medicine, Vol. 2, No. 5, Sept/Oct 2000; The American Journal of Natural Medicine, July/Aug 1997. 29
 A 1998 research
article found that a
diet also plays a key
part in the relief of
digestive disorders. A
diet high in fiber and
low in refined sugar,
additives, and
preservatives is
recommended.
Source: The Internist, Vol. 5, No. 2, June 1998; Regional Medical Center, www.rmccares.org.
30
 The use of tobacco
products, and the
consumption of
alcohol and
caffeine have been
shown to
aggravate the
problem.
Source: The Internist, Vol. 5, No. 2, June 1998; Regional Medical Center, www.rmccares.org.
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A natural
approach to
handling digestive
problems would
include addressing
physical stress on
the nervous
system, as well as
diet and nutrition.
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Because chiropractors
are highly trained in
relieving neurological
stress by correcting
spinal imbalances, and
receive more training
on nutrition, they often
get excellent results in
treating patients with
digestive problems.

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In two independent studies,
patients with ulcer conditions
were placed on the same diet,
but different treatment plans.

Source: The International Journal of Chiropractic, Vol. 8 No. 3, 1997; In Touch Newsletter, November 2000, Vol. 4 No. 11; Journal of
Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, June 1994. 34
The patients undergoing Chiropractic
care showed considerably faster relief
than did those undergoing traditional
medical treatment.

Source: The International Journal of Chiropractic, Vol. 8 No. 3, 1997; In Touch Newsletter, November 2000, Vol. 4 No. 11; Journal of
Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, June 1994. 35
 In a 1999 study,
Chiropractic was found
to be more effective in
treating children with
infantile colic than
those treated with the
drug Dimethicone. In
2000, a second similar
study was done
confirming the results.
Source: Wiberg JMM, Nordsteen N. The short term effect of spinal manipulation in the treatment of infantile colic: A randomized controlled
clinical trial with a blinded observer. Journal of Manipulative Physiological Therapy, 1999; 22:517-522. Parents, June 2000, p.72. 36
Let’s take a look at some of the people who have
had their digestive complaints helped by
Chiropractic:
“I am a full believer that Chiropractic has helped my body
restore itself to health. After more than three months of
expensive medical testing, and many trips to the hospital and
to specialists, the doctors were unable to diagnose the cause
of my severe diarrhea and vomiting.
At the suggestion of a nutritionist that I met, I began to see a
Chiropractor. It is now three months later, and I feel better
both physically and mentally.”
D. McNeill, Norwalk, CT

Source: Courtesy of Dr. Robert Zembroski, D.C., Specific Chiropractic Clinic. 37

“I admit that I was skeptical prior to visiting
the chiropractor.
“Due to past digestive problems, I was unable
to eat certain foods, especially onions.
“I can now eat onions without any digestive
problems. And as an added benefit, my
Chiropractic treatments have had no negative
side effects.”
M. Smith, Darien, CT

Source: Courtesy of Dr. Robert Zembroski, D.C., Specific Chiropractic Clinic.

38
“I came to see the chiropractor, with complaints of
irritable bowels, spastic colon, nausea, and dizziness,
among other things.
“At age 34, I felt as though my life was over.
“In two months, my symptoms began to recede, and
by the end of nine months, I felt as though I was
reborn.
“After suffering with these illnesses for most of my
life, not having them now is a miracle.
“For the first time in a very long time, I look forward
to facing each new day.”
Source: Courtesy of Dr. Robert Zembroski, D.C., Specific Chiropractic Clinic. G. Vatell 39
“I had suffered for over 10 years with all kinds of
stomach and gastrointestinal problems.
“I had taken nearly every medication known for
this, not to mention thousands of Rolaids and
Tums.
“After only a couple of months of Chiropractic
treatments, I no longer have to take antacids or
prescription drugs, and I can now eat foods that I
could never eat before.”
Rev. G. Mammana

Source: Courtesy of Dr. Robert Zembroski, D.C., Specific Chiropractic Clinic.

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There are a number of
contributing factors to the
cause and relief of
digestive disorders.
Proper diet, the right
nutritional supplements,
and normal nervous
system function can play a
substantial role in having
a happy, healthy digestive
system.
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A Gift

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