ADVERTISING: Advertorial — Digestive problems might be in your head?
The brain is the most nutrient dependent, energy dependent organ in the body, but it is also the most vulnerable organ to toxins and stress. The gut and the brain are very tightly intertwined. Due to this connection, if you damage one, there’s a good chance the other will also be damaged.
A prime example of this relationship is when one suffers a concussion. A concussion is a traumatic brain injury that affects your brain’s ability to function. Damage to the brain, which has a residual effect on the nervous system, also has a negative effect on the digestive tract. Along the lining of our digestive tract, there are tight junctions and their job is to prevent food particles and toxins from leaking into our bloodstream.
Almost immediately following an injury, these junctions become permeable allowing things to pass through that normally would not or should not pass through. This results in an inflammatory response that can penetrate the blood-brain barrier, leading to additional inflammation on the brain. This vicious cycle keeps the blood-brain barrier open and fuels the inflammatory process, taking longer to heal, or preventing it from healing.
Inflammation of the gastrointestinal system is also a common occurrence of traumatic brain injury, and it can lead to a breakdown of intestinal barrier function and a vicious cycle of chronic inflammation. Given the strong connection between the brain — gut axis, it makes clinical sense to look closely at gut function in any patient who has suffered a significant head injury. A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can happen to anyone at any time. A slip-on ice, car accident, a fall, almost any accident can result in a TBI.
Shortly after a TBI, if not immediately, people could experience a multitude of symptoms. What is worrisome, is that sometimes symptoms may not emerge until months after the initial injury. If intestinal problems go untreated, the concussion symptoms could become worse, due to the additional inflammation. There is also a good chance that the gut permeability may not resolve on its own, which could contribute to making the concussion symptoms last for weeks instead of days. This brain inflammation may play a critical role in patients who develop post-concussion syndrome.
As we said, the central nervous system plays a critical role in regulating the intestinal barrier through the gut-brain axis. The vagus nerve acts as the communication line between the brain and the gut and brain injury shuts down the activity of the vagal nerve. Inhibiting the vagus nerve reduces the production and secretion of various important digestive enzymes eventually leading to a pro-inflammatory intestinal environment.
Healing the gut is only half of the battle. We need to address the inflammation on the brain also. Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) and certain natural anti-inflammatory supplements are valuable tools for improving neurological function and reducing inflammation. In concussion patients, LLLT has been shown to help reduce inflammation among other things. So, in other words, when your gut is on fire, so is your brain. In our office, we work with individuals that are in the process of recovery and recommend that they journal each day to monitor changes no matter how subtle. Healing is a process that takes time and can have many ups and down along the journey.
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Dr. Wayne M. Fichter Jr. is a chiropractor at Natural Spine Solutions. The business is located at 3913 Schreiber Way in Coeur d’Alene. For more information, please contact us at 208-966-4425.