Hiatal Hernia & Self-Adjustment Frequency

How often should one need to adjust their stomach to relieve a hiatal hernia? I have seen my dr twice for her to adjust my stomach. And I've been doing heel drops - sometimes as often as 2-3 times per day.

Nothing seems to provide much relief. Sometimes I felt better for a minute or so, and then back to my symptoms: unable to take a deep breath, uncomfortable pressure underneath my ribs, feeling too full, burping, regurgitating food and acid, sore throat and overall just feeling lousy :( Sometimes I drink water and something in my diaphramg goes awry & I get the hiccups and/or vomit.

I have been coping by extending my belly as far I can to be able to take a deep breath. When I do this, I seem to release a lot gas from my stomach and burp a lot. I am also constantly reminding myself to stand up straighter and engage my abs to improve my posture.

I am 34 years old, physically active (run, hike, bike, rock climb), maybe 5lbs overweight depending on which chart you look at.

I have an appt for a different chiropractor to see if they can have any better success. I also have a colonoscopy & endoscopy scheduled next month.

I see people post that they did the jump technique or had a doc adjustment them once and that's all they needed. Why isn't that working for me? Should I jump after every meal or drink? Is this something I need to do multiple times a day? For how long? For the rest of my life? Or is there something else going on with me that I'm missing??

Any thoughts or feedback on this would be so appreciated. I really just want to feel better.

Thank you for the response.

I am being treated by both a gastroenterologist and a naturopath. I hope to avoid surgery at all costs, and right now am avoiding taking unnecessary medications. If it gets to the point where drugs and surgery are my only options, I'll do that. But those aren't my first choices.

I will not hesitate to try any remedy that will work, be it eastern or western practice. I'm interested to see how the appointment with the chiropractor goes and hopeful for relief.

From your symptoms regurg food and acid sounds like you are a good candidate for surgery

Thanks for the info everyone!

I started taking omeprazole about a week ago as per my gastro doctor's request, and have been getting more adjustments from the chiropractor. So far nothing has brought any relief. :(

I have no energy, can't take a deep breath but maybe one for every three to five shallow breaths. I can't eat or drink much at one sitting. I feel dizzy and weak and have spent most of my days either on the couch or in bed. Normally I am very active and this is incredibly depressing.

I do still have an endoscopy & colonoscopy on 6/1, and will actually get to talk to my gastro dr directly on that day. I have been keeping a food / symptom log so I can show him and see what he says.

When my chiropractor & naturopath have attempted to manipulate my stomach, they both felt something unusual on the right side of my abdomen. My naturopath thought my stomach was really out of line of where it is supposed to be, and my chiropractor said he thought my liver was inflamed.

Today I was wondering, what if I have a tumor or other abnormal growth in that area that is pushing my stomach up into my diaphragm? Could that be why two doctors have been unable to manipulate my stomach back to where it is supposed to be? Normally this procedure is a one-and-done thing. They can't explain why it isn't working on me.

Unfortunately, I don't see my gastro doc until 6/1 and I don't see my primary care until 6/3. So I guess I have to wait another week before I can ask them and see if I could get an xray or ultrasound.

That's the hardest thing about this: I'm barely functional and very uncomfortable. And yet because I can take a normal breath about every three to five breathes, it's not an emergency, so I have to wait to get any assistance. This is very disheartening.

Do people with hiatal hernias normally suffer this much? Does it normally take so long to find a treatment that works? :(

I had the same problems, and went to my Chiropractor immediately for treatment. You need to find a Chiropractor that is experienced in this technique. My chiropractor adjusted my stomach and told me to come back in three days, or before if I get acid reflux, at first I saw him every four days, sometimes three if I got acid reflux, then I managed to go a week, then ten days, and then not at all. All in all it took about 10 visits.

But what I also did was look on line for information on how to manipulate and massage my own stomach first thing in the morning, before I got out of bed, to ensure that my stomach was in the right place.

I also stopped smoking and went Gluten free.

I honestly believe that Gluten intolerance plays a huge role for SOME people with GERD.

My chiropractor told me that my success was due to the fact that I got treatment really quickly, and of course he is good at what he does!

That said, unfortunately, I was attacked by a dog recently, and managed to kick out at him to make him go away, but I think it has caused problems now with my stomach, and that and the recent stress I have had in my life has brought it back, so it is something you can never be complacent about...good luck

Ruth:

I would ask to have a barium swallow, this way you would know whether your LES is operating properly. Have you had any testing for your gallbladder?

Sharon

Those of you have have used a chiropractor for you hiatal hernia did it last or did you have to go back? Please advise was it worth it?

Hi Geomu:

Welcome to the Healing Well Forum. First, I would tell you that surgery should be a last resort as it is major abdominal surgery and comes with a sometimes lengthy and difficult recovery. That being said, I suffered from GERD for most of my adult life and had surgery at 53 years of age and it was a complete success. Before having surgery, you need to have multiple tests such as a barium swallow, an EGD, 24-hour pH testing, and manometry to test for swallowing function. Is there any way that you can control your swallowing of air, or have you tried anti gas (simethicone) medication? If one PPI doesn't work for you, there are a lot of other ones available that may work for you. Protonix was the one that worked best for me. Before you consider surgery, seek a second opinion as it's always good when contemplating surgery. In my situation, I had a full wrap. My surgeon explained to me that I would lose the ability to vomit and also would not be able to belch like I had in the past. Everyone's recovery is different, and it may come with small setbacks along the way. I didn't feel much better until around 6 months, and the new me around 1 year. I also still experience waves of nausea for no reason (very common), and carry a prescription of Zofran with me always. When you do speak to a surgeon, make sure he explains to you about the surgery, limited diet, and recovery. There are many people here on the Board that had no idea what their recovery would be like because their surgeon didn't take the time to discuss what is involved with the NIssen Fundoplication surgery, or whatever type of surgery you choose. Also, check with your insurance. Make sure you are aware of any copays and deductibles that you may have. Some hospitals now require them to be paid upfront before surgery. These are all small things that you should consider.

Sharon

There are side effects with just about every medication, both prescribed and O-T-C, that are on the market today. You have to weigh the good with the bad. Since you don't want to have the surgery, are you willing to live with the symptoms without the medication? And, you may not experience any side effects. Only you and your doctor can make that decision.

Sharon

Have you had a recent endoscopy and colonoscopy? - if not you should. As for the hernia - a lot of people have hiatal hernias and don't experience symptoms, it's something that you should probably have looked at again - 10 years is a long time ago. I would also see a gastro doctor to address the pantoprazole and IBS issues. I tell people that surgery should always be a last resort. It is major abdominal surgery and the recovery can be difficult. I can no longer belch the same way as before the surgery and I also lost the ability to vomit. You need to have a surgeon that's highly experienced in the Nissen Fundoplication surgery, that is the difference maker. I had my surgery roughly 7 years ago, and haven't had any problems since then. I've had routine follow-ups with my surgeon and he feels that I won't have any issues in the future.

Sharon