Blog article

I recently listened to a talk on all of the above and how posture and specific body work can improve the symptoms. GORD is gastrooesophagal reflux disease. All problems are very common in mature age people. 

Symptoms are:

• A burning sensation in the chest usually after a meal, worse at night.
• Difficulty swallowing
• A chronic cough
• Laryngitis
• Regurgitation of food or liquid.

Causes:

• The lower sphincter is too relaxed
• A Hiatus hernia - the protrusion of the stomach through the diaphragm
• And interestingly poor posture - hunched over a computer, car steering wheel or even a massage client!

Contributing factors

1. High fat foods - cheeses, fatty meats
2. Acid foods - Tomatoes and citrus
3. High caffeine foods - chocolate, coffee, Coca Kola
4. Other foods such as mint lollies, garlic, onions and spicy foods
5. Diabetes, ulcers, spinal cord injuries
6. Certain medications such as aspirin and NSAIDs.

LIfestyle treatments

• Food choices as above
• Small meals, last one 1-2 hours before bed
• Raising the head of the bed with bricks will help prevent reflux from travelling into the mouth
• When lifting heavy objects breath into it. Do not hold the breath.

Massage treatments

1. The hyoid bone just under the jaw can go out of balance and we get a sore throat on one side.Rebalancing the hyoid bone will help the muscles in the area of the oesophagus and trachea to rebalance too. 
2. Jaw work side to side and up and down looking for restrictions.
3. Balancing the rib cage and diaphragm.

A..Self care exercises for posture at the shoulders

• Seated - Slump with arms between legs as you exhale
• Inhale as you open up the arms to either side palm face up.
• Bring arms back to the side of the body.
• Repeat 10X

B. Self care exercise for shoulder girdle re education

• Seated, inhale as you open up both arms to the side, palms facing up.
• Exhale and turn pams face down.
• Bring arms down to your side.
• Repeat 10X

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