Thoracic 12 - Small Intestine
If you traveled down your throat and through your stomach your next stop would be your small intestine. The small intestine is where nutrients are absorbed from food into the blood stream. This blood is not just sent into general circulation, but is first sent to the liver where the nutrients are processed into a form the body can use.

The lining of the small intestine allows only particles that are small enough to pass into the blood stream. If this lining becomes unhealthy it can allow larger particles to pass through -- a condition popularly called "leaky gut syndrome." The use of anti-inflammatory medications (aspirin, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, naproxen, etc.), antibiotics and steroid mediations, to name a few, can cause this breakdown in the lining of the small intestine.

When the small intestine becomes "leaky," excessively large food particles are allowed into the blood stream where the ever vigilant immune system can "see" them. At any one time over 80% of the bodies circulating white blood cells are found in the region bordering the small intestine. This makes sense because anything going from the outside to the inside of the body will most likely come through this way. When the immune system reacts to a foreign substance it triggers an inflammatory response which includes the release of histamine and numerous other inflammatory chemicals into the blood stream. 

Chiropractic Adjustment
This area of the spine is very difficult to adjust with conventional techniques. Dr. Greenwood often uses a very comfortable method of seated adjustment. The patient doesn't feel like they are getting squished or pounded when adjusted this way.

Nutritional Therapy
For treating the iliocecal valve we use Chlorophyll Complex (sooths the iliocelvalve), Lact-Enz, Lactic Acid Yeast, Okra Pepsin E3 (helps sooth and heal the intestinal lining).

If the iliocecal valve is stuck open we often recommend that a washcloth dampened with cold tap water be placed over the valve each night for ten minutes before going to sleep. This helps to tonify the valve. If the valve is stuck closed then foods that are hard to digest like nuts, popcorn and sometimes even raw vegetables must be avoided for a short time.