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alternative treatments for achalasia? chiropractic care?

Posted , 5 users are following.

Finally17
Finally17

Had anyone ever had success with alternative treatments for achalasia? Someone recommended chiropractic care to me as an alternative to surgery since achalasia has to do with nerves. But i have yet to find any solid research on this.

I am meeting with a surgeon soon.

Just curious about your experiences. Thanks for sharing.

0 likes, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • AlanJM
    AlanJM Finally17

    Posted

    To the extent that achalasia is associated with the nerve endings of the muscles operating the swallowing function in the oesophagus, it is true that some therapies that influence the nerves might potentially be helpful.   People do report that mindfulness, relaxation techniques, yoga etc can have an effect on reducing tension and stress, and therefore alleviate the achalasia a bit.  The surgical approaches to achalasia will typically have to be accompanied by a bit of a lifestyle change to reduce stress and anxiety, expecially around food.   I had not thought of chiropractic care, but if it does not do any harm, it might well be worth a try;  as acupuncture.   I am not medically qualified by the way, so take all this as you wish.

    ?There is a booklet 'A Patient's Guide to Achalasia' that you can download from the website of the oesophageal patinets Association under The Oesophagus, and then Achalasia (towards bottom of the page).

  • karen415101
    karen415101 Finally17

    Posted

    I tried acupunture about 6 times - maybe not enough, but four of the times I had fairly immediate pain - the type I get from achalasia -- fairly intense so I won't be trying that again.  As I posted before, my answer to most of my problems is hot water therapy prescribed by a chinese clinical study that I found online, staying very hydrated, and getting plenty of sleep.  Best of luck!

  • joel222222
    joel222222 Finally17

    Posted

    I have had achalasia since October 2016, and had 2 balloon procedures to open up closed throat, but still having problem. I am on a mostly liquid diet and losing weight as not able to drink/eat enough. I just found out from a nephew that he had a problem in swallowing and found help from a chiropractor.  I plan to follow through on this, as I had no idea such treatment would be useful!
    • AlanJM
      AlanJM joel222222

      Posted

      I think that some therapies may help to relieve tension in your system, but the main issue will inevitably be how your muscles operate for the swallowing process. It is fairly common for dilatations to have only a temporary effect, so really you should be looking at the surgical options that would give you better long term prospects. Whatever you have for achalasia treatment there will always be a need to achieve optimal relaxation and freedom from tension to be able to swallow well.
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