Educating patients on biotics and gut health

Educating patients on biotics and gut health remains important, and always remember to patients who may be on prescriptions need …

What is the gut telling you? That question gets to the bottom of decision-making, but it also points to an important part of patients’ bodies that can affect health and chiropractic care, making educating patients on biotics and gut health a must.

When patients say they are having stomach or gut issues, pay attention. Issues such as stomach pain, bloating, acid reflux, or digestive problems can be a symptom of many conditions including Crohn’s disease or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Approximately 70 million Americans are living with some sort of digestive disorder. For some patients, stomach issues can interfere with social interaction or work, because digestive problems can happen without warning.

Educating patients on biotics and gut health

Chiropractic treatment and proper alignment may help patients manage gut health and reduce or eliminate pain.

“The thoracic and lumbar areas of your spine are responsible for regulating the speed of how the food is physically broken down into a pulp and digested,” says Daniel Baek, DC, of Keystone Chiropractic. “Therefore, health issues with the nerves in your spine can directly affect your digestion. For instance, you can suffer from lower back issues as well if you have stomach issues.”

A spinal misalignment could cause inflammation that blocks optimum function as well as and slow digestion or expelling of waste. Some conditions that can be helped with chiropractic care are:

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
Diarrhea
Constipation
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Ulcerative colitis
Crohn’s disease
Bloating
Diverticulitis

Educating patients on biotics and gut health and the importance of the gut microbiome is crucial. A surprisingly large number of consumers have not heard of gut health, or they may not understand what it means, or the signaling that occurs from the spine.

“There will be a misfire in the signals they send to the nerves of your digestive system if the vertebrae in your spine are improperly aligned,” Baek adds. “This is because any issues in your lower back can hinder the signal from going to your brain.”

Biotics

Gut health, or a healthy microbiome, can impact patient metabolism, the ability of our body to heal, and can affect inflammation in every part of the body. When the microbiome is not regulated or working in a healthy, balanced way, the body experiences dysbiosis.

The digestive tract is a shelter to trillions of microorganisms including bacteria, and the encouragement of healthy species of bacteria and the reduction of bad bacteria can improve overall health. Patients should be informed of prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics, to help manage gut health and work in tandem with all chiropractic treatments:

Probiotics. Probiotics are those healthy bacteria that you consume to add to the microbiome community.
Prebiotics. Those healthy bacteria need food to survive in your gut. You feed them by eating plenty of plant-based fibrous foods that are filled with gut-friendly vitamins and nutrients.
Postbiotics. Once those healthy bacteria are satisfied, they make postbiotics, including short-chain fatty acids that produce serotonin or turn off the appetite center of the brain. Some prevent leaky gut, which is caused from a weak or damaged stomach lining.

Some new research indicates that a specific bacteria called bifidobacterium is found at higher levels in children than in adults. Those who follow a basic Mediterranean diet tend to have higher levels than those who don’t follow plant-based diets. Bifidobacterium has been found to be an important immune regulator. Processed foods stay in the colon for a longer period of time and can cause bacterial overgrowth that releases toxins.

Educating patients on biotics and gut health remains important, and always remember to educate patients who may be on prescriptions that could affect gut health in a detrimental way. Antibiotics can cause a client to go into dysbiosis, and restoring the gut to balance should be addressed by suggesting prebiotic and probiotics foods or supplements, and eating pickled or fermented foods several times per week.

Sources:

https://www.nutraceuticalsworld.com/issues/2022-07/view_features/what-do-consumers-know-about-the-gut-microbiome)

https://www.canadapharmacyonline.com/blog/Is-Gut-Health-the-Cause-of-More-Severe-Covid-Infections.html

https://covid19criticalcare.com/covid-19-protocols/i-care-early-covid-treatment/

https://www.nextavenue.org/yogurt-for-a-healthy-gut/