Can Chiropractic Care Help Celiac Disease?
About 1% of Americans have celiac disease. This autoimmune disorder primarily affects the small intestine and can lead to various degrees of digestive discomfort and symptoms. While monitoring and adjusting your diet is crucial, there’s one overlooked complementary treatment that may help improve this condition: Chiropractic care.
So, let’s take a closer look at the potential of chiropractic care in helping celiac disease. What should you know? How can it help?
What is Celiac Disease?
Celiac disease is triggered by the ingestion of gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. When someone with celiac disease consumes gluten, their immune system reacts abnormally, leading to damage to the lining of the small intestine.
This damage hampers the absorption of nutrients, leading to various gastrointestinal and non-gastrointestinal symptoms like bloating, diarrhea, weight loss, anemia, and fatigue.
How Chiropractic Care Can Help
Traditionally, the primary treatment for celiac disease is a strict, lifelong gluten-free diet, which helps in managing symptoms and promoting intestinal healing. However, even with strict dietary adherence, some individuals continue to experience symptoms.
And this is where chiropractic care comes into the picture. While chiropractic treatment does not cure celiac disease, it can be an effective complementary therapy in managing its symptoms. Here’s how!
Improves Overall Digestive Function
Chiropractic adjustments, particularly in the mid and lower back, can help improve nerve function in the areas that control digestion. This can lead to improved digestive processes and possibly alleviate some of the gastrointestinal symptoms associated with celiac disease.
Reduces Inflammation
Chiropractic care is known for its ability to reduce inflammation in the body. Since celiac disease is an inflammatory condition, regular chiropractic adjustments might help in lowering systemic inflammation. This has the potential to ease or improve some symptoms to some degree.
Reduces Stress in the Body
Stressful life events are thought to trigger and exacerbate celiac symptoms. Yet, chiropractic treatments, especially spinal manipulations, can induce relaxation and reduce stress. In turn, this might indirectly help in managing the condition.
Nutritional Guidance
Many chiropractors are also well-versed in nutrition and can offer advice on maintaining a balanced gluten-free diet, which is crucial for people with celiac disease. This guidance can help in ensuring that the diet is not only gluten-free but also rich in all the necessary nutrients. Alternatively, your chiropractor may even refer you to a nutritionist to help you plan and manage your daily diet effectively.
Is Chiropractic Care Right for You?
Chiropractic care takes a holistic approach to health, focusing on maintaining optimal body function. This can be particularly beneficial for celiac disease sufferers, as it addresses the whole body and not just the symptoms of the disease.
If you are considering visiting your local Noblesville chiropractor as part of your management plan for celiac disease, it is important to discuss this with your healthcare provider and a qualified chiropractor. They can work together to determine if chiropractic treatments could be a beneficial addition to your current management plan.
While a gluten-free diet remains the cornerstone of managing celiac disease, the addition of chiropractic care might offer additional benefits in managing symptoms and improving overall quality of life. Remember, each individual’s response to treatment varies, so it’s important to approach this as a complementary therapy integrated into a broader health management strategy. Interested in how chiropractic care might help you? Contact the Anchor Health Chiropractic team today!
