Gastrointestinal Disorders

    Upper or lower abdominal pain, chronic constipation and/or diarrhea are some of the most common reasons that people seek medical help.  

Frequently, these symptoms relate to faulty diets, food allergies, enzyme deficiencies, the presence of abnormal bacteria, yeast or parasites, the relative absence of friendly bacteria, and nervous system imbalances associated with difficulties dealing with stressful circumstances.  These may lead to two possible functional problems.  The first is the inability to absorb into the body from the gastrointestinal system important nutrients (the so-called malabsorption syndrome).  The second results in the gastrointestinal syndrome failing to screen out substances that shouldn’t enter the system (the so-called “leaky gut syndrome”).

    When these problems become bad enough, we wind up with diseases such as peptic ulcers, colitis, Crohn’s Disease, and irritable bowel syndrome.  By focusing on the 4 R’s, we can frequently help these problems.  The four R’s are:  (1) Removing abnormal organisms from the GI tract, usually with natural substances; (2) Replacing enzymes or other missing links needed for the digestive process; (3) Reinnoculating the gut with friendly bacteria; and (4) Introducing substances to Repair the damage to the gut.  We usually recommend Individualized dietary protocols and appropriate nutritional supplements, including some medical foods to help solve these GI problems.

    Many innovative tests are available including liver detoxification profiles and gut permeability tests to help determine the main problems underlying these conditions.  Mind-body protocols are used to help patients deal with stressful circumstances.  Acupuncture and related techniques, such as NAET (Bioset) can also be very helpful.