Heartburn and Indigestion and how Systematic Kinesiology can Help
Heartburn and indigestion are extremely common; with heartburn affecting 1 in every 4 UK adults and indigestion affecting 4 in every 10. Heartburn is an unpleasant and burning feeling in the chest. Similarly, indigestion is a discomfort felt in the upper abdomen. For both of these, the most commonly prescribed medication is antacids. Antacids usually provide relief but often do not fix the root of the problem. This means that people tend to take antacids every single time they experience heartburn and indigestion, in order to have any relief; with the unpleasant symptoms often recurring again and again. In this article we will look at heartburn, indigestion and antacids and how Systematic Kinesiology can be used as an alternative tool to antacids to help cure symptoms.
What are antacids?
Antacids are a medication that was invented in 1928 by pharmacist James Howe in order to treat his wife's indigestion. They were introduced to the UK in 1931, in the form of Rennies. Antacids neutralise stomach acid in order to bring about relief to symptoms of heartburn and indigestion. They come as a liquid or chewable tablet and can be bought from pharmacies and shops without a prescription. The antacid market is expected to increase its global revenue from $8.16 billion in 2021 to $9.13 billion in 2022, increasing by 6.1%. A whopping 40% of people in the UK are thought to use antacids regularly.
What is indigestion?
Indigestion, also called dyspepsia, is characterised by a range of different symptoms:
Acidic taste in the mouth
Belching
Belly pain
Bloating
Burning in the stomach
Heartburn
Nausea
What is heartburn?
Heartburn can leave sufferers feeling extremely uncomfortable. Symptoms include:
A burning pain in the chest that usually occurs after eating or at night
A bitter or acidic taste in the mouth
Pain that worsens when lying down or bending over
Being common conditions, almost everyone will experience heartburn and/or indigestion at some point in their lives. However, certain things can make people more prone to it. These include:
Diseases such as stomach ulcers, infections, and irritable bowel syndrome. Often if an individual is suffering from any of these ailments they are likely to also experience indigestion/heartburn at the same time.
Medications: some antibiotics can cause indigestion/heartburn.
Lifestyle choices: eating too much spice, drinking too much alcohol, smoking and stress can all increase the likelihood of indigestion and heartburn.
Pregnancy: many women have indigestion/heartburn during the middle and later parts of pregnancy. The problem may come from hormones, or from the pressure the growing baby puts on the stomach.
Other: of course it must be said that in some cases persistent and severe indigestion or heartburn can be signs that something more sinister is at play.
In both situations, indigestion and heartburn are believed to be brought on by stomach acid irritating the lining of the stomach, the top part of the bowel, or the gullet (oesophagus).
What is stomach acid?
Our stomach’s job is to help us digest the food we eat, so that we can obtain the necessary nutrients we need to survive. One way that it does this is through the use of stomach acid, also known as gastric acid, which is mainly made from hydrochloric acid (HCL). To break down food, the lining of the stomach naturally secretes stomach acid (HCL). Unfortunately, sometimes our systems do not always work the way they are supposed to. The stomach can produce too much HCL, or too little, which can lead to the unpleasant symptoms of indigestion and heartburn explored above.
Too little HCL
According to healthline, certain situations, like medication and stress, can prevent your body from producing as much HCL as it needs. When this happens, you may begin to experience symptoms like:
Burping
Bloating
Heartburn
Indigestion
Nausea
Upset stomach
Too much HCL
If the level of acid in your HCL is too high, the mucus in your stomach may stop being effective. When this happens you may experience symptoms like:
Burping
Bloating
Heartburn
Indigestion
Nausea
Upset stomach
Notice something here? Both the symptoms of low HCL and high HCL are exactly the same and they both cause heartburn and indigestion. As a result, if you are experiencing heartburn or indigestion, it can be difficult to decipher whether the cause is due to too much HCL or too little. The way you should go about treating the symptoms should be different depending on the cause. However, unfortunately, in both situations, sufferers just tend to use antacids.
Why is this important?
The breaking down of food is very important. If food isn’t broken down properly, then larger parts of food will pass down to the small intestine. This means that nutrients cannot be absorbed properly, causing symptoms such as bloating, constipation, undigested food in faeces, reflux and heartburn. Being unable to break down food properly can also lead to vitamin and protein deficiencies.
What causes HCL to be too low?
There are many factors which can lead to lower HCL in stomach acid. It can be caused by:
A lack of vitamins such as zinc and b vitamins
Experiencing high-stress levels
Smoking and drinking
Most importantly, the one factor that no one can escape from, even if you eat the healthiest of diets or live the healthiest of lives, is age. HCL naturally decreases the older we get. This means that the older we get, the more our stomach is going to struggle to break down the foods we consume, without giving us any of the other symptoms explained above.
Now antacids do have a place for treating symptoms caused by stomach acid being too high, such as conditions like gastritis and stomach ulcers. However, if symptoms are a result of stomach acid being too low, then they do not serve the same purpose. In actual fact, in most cases of heartburn and ingestion, it is more commonly caused by low HCL.
How can Systematic Kinesiology help?
Systematic Kinesiologists use something called alarm points. Alarm points are specific areas on the body that ask the body if it lacks certain vitamins, minerals, stomach acid or digestive enzymes when held. When the stomach acid point is held, the practitioner is asking the body if there is an imbalance within the stomach in regard to acid levels. Consequently, the practitioner will be able to determine very quickly if your issue is due to too little, or too much HCL.
As mentioned many times throughout my articles, Systematic Kinesiology is so powerful because it lets the body do the talking and it empowers the body to ask for exactly what it requires to heal. If it becomes apparent that you are suffering from low HCL, antacids will hold no weight. The Kinesiologist can demonstrate this through muscle testing. Muscle testing is where the Kinesiologist applies gentle pressure to determine if the muscle is responding strongly or weak to any external sources. If the muscle is strong, it will effortlessly lock into place, whereas when weak it will feel spongy and wobbly. The Kinesiologist can test the body against antacids and see if the muscle goes strong or weak, thus indicating if the body is benefitting from taking it, or not. This is extremely effective because you, as the client, will literally be able to feel your body reacting.
In replace of antacids, the Systematic Kinesiologist can test a range of supplements to determine what the stomach needs to get better. So rather than taking antacids daily to provide temporary relief to symptoms, you can fix the root cause of the issue, preventing symptoms from returning.
Summary
To conclude, before we take antacids to relieve symptoms of heartburn and indigestion; we first need to identify the cause. If the cause is due to low HCL (and not too much HCL), then the antacids will not have the same effect. Thus resulting in the heartburn and indigestion symptoms constantly recurring. Systematic Kinesiology allows you to identify the root cause of any heartburn and indigestion symptoms you may be experiencing. Not only this but it can empower you to give your body what it needs to get better, properly. If you would like to find out more, please do not hesitate to contact us.
