Alternative Medicine Offers Relief To GERD Sufferers

Written by Thomas Green

While conventional medicine provides a wide variety of remedies for the symptoms associated with GERD, including medication and surgical options, these choices aren't for everyone. For some the problem may be with allergic or other reactions to medication, others may have conditions that make surgery a risky option.

Alternative medicine offers a drug-free, non-invasive method of treating the symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease, which are quite uncomfortable. For those of us that have medical reasons or philosophical reasons for wanting to eschew conventional treatments, alternative treatments can be a vital resource in making life with GERD livable.

Alternative medicine is best defined as a catchall term that encompasses a wide spectrum of treatments not embraced by conventional medical practice. Some alternative medical treatments include aromatherapy, herbalism, acupuncture and acupressure, chiropractic and homeopathy. Most alternative medical treatments do not rely on modern technology or pharmacology, but instead use more nature-centered techniques to deal with illness.

Once derided by the majority of Americans and the medical establishment, alternative medicine is becoming more accepted as research has shown legitimate treatments are getting results, democratization of information via Internet is ferreting out snake oil salesmen. In 2002, nearly two-thirds of Americans reported that they had taken advantage of some sort of alternative medical treatment in the past year, and that 75 percent of Americans will use alternative medical treatment at some point in their lives. Bottom line: Alternative medicine is real, and it's providing real results to people with illnesses.

GERD, which is caused by a weakening or malfunction of the lower esophageal sphincter, affects millions of Americans each year. When a person has GERD, the weakness or malfunction of his or her lower esophageal sphincter allows stomach acid to reflux into the esophagus, causing heartburn, difficulty swallowing and other painful symptoms.

Conventional treatment for GERD includes the use of medications to reduce the production of stomach acid and surgery to correct the weakness in the lower esophageal sphincter. A potential downside to conventional medical treatment of GERD is that it can cause the stomach to produce too little stomach acid, thus impacting the body's ability to digest foods.

There are a wide variety of alternative medical treatments that can help relieve the symptoms of GERD naturally.

For example, the symptoms of GERD can be exacerbated by anxiety and stress. Various relaxation techniques advocated by alternative medicine can relieve your stress, and thus alleviate your GERD symptoms.

Aromatherapy uses the scent of essential oils from plant products to achieve improvements in the patient's mood, general health or cognitive ability. It is applied by aerial diffusion, direct inhalation or topical application. Stress-relieving applications of aromatherapy can be used to set the patient at ease, and hopefully prevent the reflux of stomach acid into the esophagus.

Hypnosis is another alternative medical treatment that can be used to help relieve the symptoms of GERD. Hypnosis has been proven to help people quit smoking and overcome anxiety. Hypnosis can help people better deal with stress, thus helping to relieve their GERD symptoms.

Acupressure relies upon the application of pressure to certain parts of the body to achieve desired effects with regard to specific organs and parts of the body. Recent studies suggest that application of pressure to P6, an acupoint that can be found located on the underside of the wrist in between two tendons, can result in fewer relaxations of your lower esophageal sphincter, thus reducing your chance of having acid reflux.

Herbal therapy also has some promising applications to treat GERD. Herbal therapy uses folk and traditional knowledge concerning the use of herbs and their effect on the body to provide medical treatment. It's the precursor to modern pharmalogical treatment, but some people prefer it to modern medicine because it makes use of naturally occurring substances instead of manufactured items. Sai Mei An is a Chinese herb known to relieve stomach ulcers. It can also be useful in treating GERD because it can help neutralize excess stomach acid.

When using any type of alternative medical treatment in conjunction with traditional medical treatment, it is advisable to consult with your doctor to determine if any of your alternative medical treatments will have a negative interaction with any conventional medicine prescribed by your doctor. Keeping both your alternative medical provider and regular doctor informed of what the other is doing is a good idea because it allows them to craft their treatment regimen to prevent any complications from arising because of a negative interaction between treatment methods. Also, while many alternative medicine practicioners are professional, legitimate healers, there are also unscrupulous individuals in the business, however. Gathering as much information ahead of time as possible will help keep you from being bamboozled and left with the same, if not a worse, problem.