Posted 8/2/2017 8:37 PM (GMT 0)
I've had GERD for 19 years and have had all the tests and examinations. When I first got it, the only thing I thought might have caused it was 6 months earlier lifting a heavy wood stove off the back of a pickup truck after having eaten a big meal. Something in my stomach seemed to give. I told this to each of the many doctors I met over the years but they told me exams and tests indicated I had only a tiny hiatus hernia and everything else looked normal.
I related this all to my chiropractor 2 months ago and he said it sounded like part of my stomach had gotten pushed up above my lower esophageal sphincter--a hiatus hernia. He suggested pushing that part of my stomach back down where it belonged. I went online and watched a couple of videos about pushing one's stomach down and after repeating that process of simple massage, I had instant results. A lot of my horrible coughing stopped and I am able to now undertake old favourite activities like golf and canoeing which previously did not like the twisting of my torso and the distended stomach that had been there. . But I still have to be very careful what I eat and if I don't massage for half a minute several times a day, I start coughing a lot again.
This has been a huge improvement but hasn't been a full recovery. 19 years of GERD has taken its toll on my upper esophageal sphincter and the overall swallowing mechanism of my throat. I have to be very careful to chew slow and long so food doesn't get into my lungs. My voice is also a bit impaired. But I am hopeful that with acid intrusion now drastically reduced, these continuing problems will somewhat rectify.
I am so grateful for what seems like a gift to have accidentally come across this simple procedure. At the same time, I am astonished that all the best specialists in the province had such blinders on and couldn't figure this out.
I realize most people's GERD may have been initiated by other problems but I believe even for most of them doing this simple massage would have benefits. I highly recommend it and it takes very little time, perhaps 4 or 5 sessions a day, each about 30 seconds long. 2 1/2 minutes a day--what have you got to lose? Good luck.
Alfie