The Hiatal Hernia...More Common Than You Think

Doc Rick says, "I have had more patients come see me after they've been to the Emergency Room, spent thousands of dollars to rule out a heart attack, and when all the testing is done and no treatment is rendered, they come to my office and I fix them in less than 45 seconds. What could they be suffering from?"

The Hiatal Hernia...More Common Than You Think

I have decided to write about this aspect of human health, because like the title says, It is More Common Then You Think.  Also of importance is being able to appreciate how one can develop such a condition, and how it may be confused with other conditions that will lead your Health Care Practitioner on a wild goose chase.  Likewise, it will leave the person with the condition not knowing what to do. 

A Hiatal Hernia is a disorder of the Gastro-Esophageal Junction that results in a sac-like dilatation of the Stomach protruding above the Diaphragm.  As a result of a portion of the Stomach being above the Diaphragm, one could suffer from retrosternal pain (heartburn) and sometimes regurgitation of gastric juices into the mouth.  These manifestations are attributed to incompetence of the esophagastric sphincter (lower esophageal sphincter) and are accentuated by positions favoring reflux, e.g., bending forward or lying on your back.  It should be noted that gastro-esophageal refluxdisease (GERD) can occur without a hiatal hernia; conversely, a hiatal hernia can be present without these reflux symptoms. 

Now that I've covered the formal technical information as given by Robbins: Pathologic Basis For Disease, I'd like to expand upon that information and help you apply it to you personally.  After all, what's the point of having information if you don't know how to apply it to yourself? 

Your esophagus is the tube that connects your mouth to your Stomach.  As it passes through the opening or hiatus within the diaphragm, it then opens into the stomach.  The Lower Esophogeal Sphincter is a muscular ring that separates the Esophagus from the Stomach, and is also where the Diaphragm attaches separating the Thoracic Cavity, where your Heart and Lungs are, from the Abdominal Cavity, where all of your digestive organs live.  The Diaphragm is the muscular wall that expands down upon inspiration, pushing your abdomen outward, and contracts back upon expiration, allowing your abdomen to be pulled back in where it began.  NOTE: This is important to appreciate, because if you don't breathe through your abdomen, you are creating the basis for a Hiatal Hernia.  Abdominal breathing is the correct way to breathe.  Most people I have worked with are "Chest Breathers."  Try to notice which part of your body moves when you breathe in and breathe out.  Is it your Chest or your belly?  It should be your belly moving out with inspiration, as the Lungs fill downward with air pushing the abdomen out, and the belly moving back in after expiration.  Work on perfecting this and your health and digestion will improve tremendously, simply by doing this and nothing else. 

Tied into the diaphragm at its point of attachment to the body wall are two very important muscles called the Psoas muscles.  These two muscles are controlled by the Kidneys.  The relationship will become importantly clear in a minute.  If one is dehydrated and is breathing incorrectly, it will cause the psoas muscles to conserve on their resources which will contract and shorten them.  This will create Low Back Pain and, likewise cause the diaphragm to contract and weaken.  As a result, the diaphragm will begin to pull apart at the area where it attaches to the gastro-esophogeal junction, creating the widening in the hiatus (the opening where the esophagus passes through).  This sets up the body for the Hiatal Hernia.  Therefore, it is important to stay well hydrated and keep the Kidneys functioning properly.  For more information on this topic, please refer to Back Issues of this Newsletter at www.spineboy.com/newsletters and look for the issue titled Kidney Health: Your Most Vital Organ.  

Other contributors to the condition of a Hiatal Hernia include eating late at night and then laying down to rest or sleep, talking a lot while eating, drinking carbonated beverages with your meals, drinking a lot with your meals, eating meals with lots of carbohydrates in conjunction with your proteins, eating too fast, and as mentioned above, improper Chest Breathing instead of Abdominal Breathing. 

Other symptoms of Hiatal Hernia are shortness of breath, inability to breathe deeply or get a full breath, chest tightness, heart burn, tightness across the front of your shoulders, left arm pain, abdominal pain, stomach bloating, reflux, indigestion or Stomach gas.  If you experience any of these symptoms regularly or periodically, you should consider the following.

What You Should Consider

I have had several patients over the years who have presented with chest tightness that began as indigestion, left shoulder and upper arm pain, and have just come from the hospital or Medical Doctors Office having had a Cardiac work-up including a Cat Scan, an EKG and Stress Test, with all reports being normal.  The doctors have told them to take anti-anxiety medications and try to relax, as the tests don't indicate any Heart problems.  This is great that the Heart isn't a problem, but it doesn't address their concern.  The problem has always shown up as a Hiatal Hernia.  The best part about that is the condition can be resolved in 4 or 5 deep breaths while I apply pressure at the base of the sternum to the Stomach and traction toward the feet to reduce the Hiatal Hernia.  The patient reports immediate relief of all their symptoms, and they begin to breathe normally and go back to a normal life.  This is such a great feeling to have when helping someone who suffers with this concern, knowing it can be fully handled in about 30 to 45 seconds.

My Offer To You

If you are a Current Practice Member and suspect you may have a Hiatal Hernia, or if you have difficulty taking a deep breath, indigestion or reflux, call the Office and tell us you'd like to have the Hiatal Hernia Check. The check itself takes three seconds, and the solution takes 30 to 45 seconds.  I will follow the correction with helping you to identify why you developed this condition, and instruct you on how to restore balance to your systems.  This is an invaluable service and normally costs $75.00.  For the month of August, I will include this check with your normal office visit.  That's right, It's FREE!!  But you must act fast.  As of September 1st, the offer will be gone.  So call the Office and let us know you want the Hiatal Hernia Check.

If you are a New Potential Practice Member and suspect you may have a Hiatal Hernia, call the Office at (845) 561- 2225 and tell us you'd like to have the Hiatal Hernia Check.  We will invite you to our FREE Health Care Class held on Tuesday evenings at 6:30 pm in the 320 Robinson Avenue location, and then ask you to go to www.spineboy.com and print out all the New Patient Forms under the New Patients Start Here button.  But you must hurry as well.  As of September 1st the offer will expire and the normal fee for the service will apply.