Having digestive issues is no fun, and the numbers show that Americans have a big problem with gut health. The numbers are shocking, too. According to a recent study, overall annual healthcare expenditures in the United States for gastrointestinal disease total $136 billion, which is more than heart disease ($113 billion), trauma ($103 billion), or mental health ($99 billion).

$136,000,000,000

That is nine zeroes worth of dollars spent on such conditions as heartburn, diarrhea, gas, vomiting, and chronic diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), to name a few.

Bad gut health can have a profound impact on the professional and personal aspects of our lives. Most of us tend to wait out our gastrointestinal issues instead of addressing them with a health professional. We feel that these issues are not disruptive enough to our lives. However, most people do not realize that these problems can contribute to worsening gut health over time. Every day that there is no change for the better is another day the quality of life is reduced.

Diet is one contributor to bad gut health, and it also happens to be the most well-known one. However, your nervous system is another major contributor because it controls your gastrointestinal system along with many other parts of your body. It is intriguing how misalignments in your vertebrae can disrupt the nervous system’s ability to communicate properly, and can cause gastrointestinal issues.

Another reason for bad gut health can be tension in your abdominal muscles. This can occur because of your posture, especially if you are sitting for long periods or under significant stress. Chiropractic care is well equipped to handle all of these contributors to bad gut health. A chiropractor can easily realign your spine through gentle adjustments to help reduce gastrointestinal issues.

Whether it is your diet, a misaligned spine, muscle tension, or stress causing your gut issues, a chiropractor may be your best bet for a long-term solution. Your chiropractor may be able to help you identify the cause of your bad gut health and suggest nutritional changes to your diet as well.

Source: NEJM Journal Watch