Did you know digestive problems can cause chronic pain? It sounds crazy, but it’s true! Acid reflux has a particular connection to stiffness after sitting. Bursa are the cushions that joints have. These cushions reduce friction and are located between the hard bone and soft tissue. Most people attribute bursitis to an injury to a particular area or from repetitive movements, like in the knees, elbows, and shoulders. However, most chronic bursitis is stemming from the digestive system.
Stiff and Painful
Pain, swelling, and stiffness are especially noticeable when under pressure. Frequently, bursitis presents as pain in your hip when lying on your side (hip bursitis). Bursitis can also be attributed to stiff knees when you’re first getting out of bed in the morning (knee bursitis). Shoulder pain is also associated. You may have the doorbell sign, which is a very tender spot where the shoulder connects to the arm, that when pushed will make you want to scream. Stiffness in your back after sitting for a while is technically synovitis, but it’s basically the same.
Protein cannot be stored efficiently and your body needs a steady supply of it. The average adult male needs 0.8 grams per pound of body weight and the average female needs 0.5-0.6 grams per pound.
If you’re not eating enough, or as we alluded in another post – you’re not digesting it, you can become deficient. All About Acid Reflux – Brett Morgan, D.C. Blood work could show a normal range of total protein, but that can be misleading. Check the globulin level: if it’s above 3, you most likely have this problem.
Protein Deficiency Will Cause Your Body To “Steal” From Other Areas
If one area of the body has a high need for protein, it will steal from another area. If it steals from the Colon, you will have Colitis; from the Skin, you will have Dermatitis; Sinus, you will have Sinusitis; and from the Joints/Bursa, you will have Bursitis.
Joints are the most common source to steal from in the body because they can have a ratio of 30 to 1 protein compared to blood.
Once the protein is stolen from the bursa, that area becomes much more susceptible to irritation. Your body will often deposit calcium at the site of protein depletion to try to stabilize the area. Calcium cannot deposit unless the environment is alkaline (the opposite of acidic). Since the failure of the stomach acid has already set the stage for alkalinity, calcium is easily absorbed into the bursa and joint spaces, thus creating stiffness and tenderness of bursitis.
What Do I Do?
You don’t have to experience acid reflux to have the bursitis problem, but it’s very common. Make sure you’re eating enough high quality protein. The average adult male needs 0.8 grams per pound of body weight and the average female needs 0.5-0.6 grams per pound, depending. Protein | Fat Loss, Muscle Building, How Much and When? (drtoddanderson.com) Generally, fixing the acid reflux requires an adequate amount of hydrochloric acid supplement, taken with each meal. Zinc helps to make it in the stomach. Apple cider vinegar can be used, ½ to 1 tablespoon in water. There are also other things you can do to ensure your body has what it needs: making sure Vitamin D levels are good, fats are balanced, stress is low, and diaphragm function is balanced. Also, realize there are several other ways digestive problems cause chronic pain.
Here’s to your health!
If you think your digestive problems may be causing your pain, please don’t hesitate to give us a call or schedule an appointment!