The Surprising Connection Between Thanksgiving Dinner, Digestion, and Your Back
By Dr. Kurt Larsen, DC, F.I.C.S.
Here’s a question for you this Thanksgiving: Have you ever felt discomfort in your shoulder or back and wondered, “What did I do?”
What if the answer isn’t where you’re feeling it?
Try something with me. Place your hand on your right shoulder blade. Now think about your last big meal. Did you feel comfortably satisfied, overly full, or unusually uncomfortable?
Our bodies are remarkable communicators. Sometimes discomfort involving an internal organ is felt somewhere else. Doctors call this referred pain. Gallbladder problems, for example, can sometimes cause pain near the right shoulder blade.
Dr. Major Bertrand DeJarnette explored relationships between the spine and organ-related reflex patterns through Chiropractic Manipulative Reflex Technique (CMRT), part of Sacro Occipital Technique.
After 43 years in chiropractic practice, I’ve learned to ask questions beyond ‘Where does it hurt?’ CMRT offers one chiropractic perspective, but these reflex patterns cannot diagnose organ disease.
Here’s your Thanksgiving challenge:
Am I comfortably satisfied?
Do certain foods consistently leave me uncomfortable?
Does discomfort appear in the same place repeatedly?
You may discover patterns worth discussing with your healthcare professional. Persistent, severe, or unexplained pain deserves medical evaluation.
This Thanksgiving, enjoy every blessing at your table. And remember, listening to your body is another way of caring for it.
DR. KURT’S TAKEAWAY
“Your body has a story to tell. Sometimes the most important question isn’t where it hurts, but why.”
Dr. Kurt Larsen, DC, FICS, is an instructor, Wellness Coach, and owner of Chiropractic Today at 10C Ponderosa Way in Hot Springs Village. 501-623-9355.
{Dr. Larsen’s articles are archived on our website at thespringsmagazine.com/dr-kurt-larsen.}
