Postural Digestive Disorders, A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions

This book describes Postural Digestive Disorders, Diagnosis and Treatment and Related Diseases

Over my 48 years of medical career, I have come across many patients who have hyperkyphosis and gastritis and poor digestion disorders at the same time.

Many patients may not have hyperkyphosis initially but as they develop hyperkyphosis there are almost invariable occurrences of poor digestion or gastritis or gastroesophageal reflux.

Some may have poor postures (e.g., slouching) or scoliosis that inevitably lead to poor digestion or gastritis or gastroesophageal reflux.

Poor posture tends to mechanically compress the stomach and abdomen often causing acid reflux and poor motility of the stomach and small intestine.

One of the patients eventually died from cancer of the pancreas after 20 years of gastritis.

It is possible that the pancreatic cancer could have eroded the spinal bone and cause the collapse of the vertebra body resulting in hyperkyphosis.

Whenever I see the poor posture in patients I will try to advise them to improve their posture or they may develop digestive disorders.

They should take food that is easily digestible.

Physical movement after a meal may help to increase motility of the stomach and intestines helping better digestion.

Poor digestion can lead to poor absorption on digestion of food causing osteoporosis and collapse of spinal bones leading to hyperkyphosis.

So it may become a vicious circle.

Posture can affect the health in so many ways, including the digestion.

The digestive tract can be influenced by the change in spine shape caused by poor posture.

The patient should also be aware that some digestive tract disorders can lead to osteoporosis over time.

Osteoporosis often impacts the spine, which is made up of vertebrae.

The spine is made up of different regions, called the cervical, thoracic and the lumbar and sacral.

Osteoporosis is usually linked with fractures of the thoracic spine, causing changes in the posture known as hyperkyphosis, height loss, and pain in the upper back.

When the spine is affected by hyperkyphosis it will have an abnormal forward curvature that gives the appearance of a “humpback.”

In this case the curvature of the spine measures 50 degrees or more (on an X-ray) where the normal spine would measure 20 to 45 degrees of curvature.

Hyperkyphosis develops over time, as the vertebrae break and the spine lose its normal shape.

The more bones that are broken, the larger the curvature of the spine will become.

In some cases, there is no pain associated with fractures, and people notice over time that their clothes do not fit properly anymore, or they have become shorter.

In other cases, osteoporosis sufferers will experience sharp, intense pain as the tendons and ligaments around the vertebrae become stretched or the nerves get pinched.

In cases of severe hyperkyphosis, one may notice digestive problems, since the abnormal curvature of the spine will cause a reduction of the space between internal organs.

The stomach or abdomen may be moved forward, inducing eating and breathing disorders.

What the patient can do is to know the early signs of hyperkyphosis, which include:
1. Head bending forward compared with the rest of the body

2. Difference in shoulder blade height and position

3. Tight hamstrings muscles

4. Protect the spine from movements that increase the risk of fractures – avoid bending forward from the waist, bending forward when the patient cough or sneeze, twisting and bending at the torso, carrying heavy bags or items, or reaching for objects that are placed on high shelves.

TABLE OF CONTENT
Introduction
Chapter 1 Postural Digestive Disorders
Chapter 2 Posture
Chapter 3 Peptic Ulcer (Gastritis)
Chapter 4 Dyspepsia (Indigestion)
Chapter 5 GERD
Chapter 6 Treatment of Posture
Chapter 7 Good Posture
Chapter 8 Hyperkyphosis
Epilogue