|
Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome Helped with ChiropracticThe Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research published a case study on May 6, 2024, showing chiropractic care helping relieve the symptoms of a patient with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). The Mayo clinic's website describes IBS by saying, "Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder that affects the stomach and intestines, also called the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms include cramping, abdominal pain, bloating, gas, and diarrhea or constipation, or both."
The study authors begin by reporting just how common this issue is by reporting that "Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common functional gastrointestinal disorders, a chronic condition with a prevalence of approximately 10% to 20% worldwide." This condition is more common in women, and accounts for 12-14% of primary physician visits and 28% of referrals to gastroenterologists. IBS is estimated to cost the U.S. economy between 15 and 30 billion dollars annually.
In this case, a 20-year-old woman presented herself to a chiropractic clinic to see if she could get some help with the symptoms she was experiencing from her IBS. Her symptoms included bloating, nausea, painful gas, fatigue, diarrhea, constipation, menstrual pain, ulcers, stomach upset, as well as neck and back pain. Her history also revealed that two years before seeking chiropractic, she was struggling with bulimia and anorexia.
A chiropractic examination was performed to determine if vertebral subluxations were present in the woman's spine. The examination included static and motion palpation, a posture analysis, leg length measurements, orthopedic testing, spinal thermography, and surface electromyography (sEMG).
From the examination, it was determined that multiple areas of subluxation were present. With this information, a care plan of specific chiropractic adjustments was started to address the subluxations. Initially, the woman was seen at the rate of three visits per week. After a month, the care was reduced to one visit per week.
This case study was written based upon the care rendered during the initial corrective portion of the woman's chiropractic care, which represented the first 12 visits only. A re-evaluation was performed on the 12th visit of her care. On the 12th visit, the woman reported that her IBS symptoms had reduced by 70%. She reported having less abdominal pain, a reduction in diarrhea, and less frequent bowel movements.
In the discussion section of this study, the authors explained how chiropractic care was able to help a patient suffering with IBS. "According to Gray's Anatomy textbook, the role of the nervous system is to control and coordinate all functions of the body. With this in mind, it can be said that the nervous system must play some role in the pathological process irritable bowel syndrome. The main objective of subluxation-based chiropractic care is to achieve optimal function of the nervous system. Therefore, reduction of vertebral subluxation, thereby improved neurological function, may have a role to play in the co-management of irritable bowel syndrome." |