Hiatal hernia · Littleton, CO
Hiatal hernia care that starts at the diaphragm.
Soft tissue work at the diaphragm plus mid and lower thoracic adjusting. Most people notice a change within three or four visits.
If you’ve been told the only options are a daily medication or an operation, there’s a structural side worth looking at — alongside your medical care, not instead of it.
Prefer to talk first? 720-583-4686
What you’ve probably heard
Medication or surgery. That’s usually where the conversation ends.
Most people who find this page have already seen a physician and been told there are two options: a proton pump inhibitor to reduce stomach acid, or an operation. Both are legitimate, and for some people they’re exactly the right call.
What often doesn’t come up is the structural side — the diaphragm muscle that surrounds the opening the stomach pushes through, and the mid and lower thoracic spine. That’s the part I work on.
The anatomy
What a hiatal hernia actually is
Your diaphragm is the dome-shaped muscle that separates your chest from your abdomen. The esophagus passes through it on its way to the stomach, through an opening called the esophageal hiatus.
A hiatal hernia occurs when the upper portion of the stomach pushes up through the esophageal hiatus in the diaphragm and into the chest.
The stomach moves up — not the esophagus.
That shift crowds and weakens the lower esophageal sphincter, the muscular ring that normally keeps stomach contents from rising. That’s what allows reflux, and over time it can develop into GERD.
Two pressure barriers, not one
The diaphragm itself normally acts as a second sphincter mechanism around the lower esophagus. When everything sits where it should, the pressure from the sphincter and the pressure from the diaphragm overlap at the same spot.
When a hernia is present, those two pressures no longer overlap — so the total pressure at the junction between the esophagus and the stomach drops.
Normal
Sphincter and diaphragm overlap
Both pressures act at the same point, so the barrier at the junction is at full strength.
Hiatal hernia
The stomach moves up and the pressures separate
The upper stomach pushes up through the hiatus. The sphincter and diaphragm pressures no longer overlap, total pressure at the junction drops, and reflux gets easier.
That is the structural rationale for working on the diaphragm.
What I do
Two things, done carefully.
Every case starts with a full history and exam, so we know what we’re dealing with and whether this approach makes sense for you. Treatment then has two parts.
01
Soft tissue work at the diaphragm
Hands-on soft tissue manipulation at the diaphragm — the muscle that forms the second pressure barrier around the lower esophagus.
02
Mid and lower thoracic spine
Standard chiropractic evaluation and treatment of the mid and lower thoracic spine.
Timeline
A short window to know if it’s working.
Visits 1–4
Most people notice a change in symptoms within the first three or four treatments.
Months 1–2
For people who respond, full resolution of symptoms typically takes one to two months.
After that
Sometimes symptoms resolve completely. Often they need continued management at a much less frequent interval.
4
The decision point
If nothing has changed by the fourth treatment, I’ll tell you.
No improvement by the fourth treatment means this approach is unlikely to be the solution for you.
Rather than keep you coming back, I’ll refer you to a gastric specialist. You’ll know where you stand within a few weeks, not a few months.
Important
This does not replace medical evaluation.
Digestive symptoms overlap with conditions that are serious and need a physician’s attention. If you haven’t been evaluated by a medical doctor for your symptoms, please start there. My work is meant to sit alongside your medical care, not stand in for it.
Keep taking any medication you’ve been prescribed. Any change to it is a decision for you and your prescribing physician.
Get medical care promptly if you have
- Chest pain or pressure — call 911, as it can be a heart problem
- Difficulty or pain when swallowing
- Vomiting blood, or material that looks like coffee grounds
- Black or tarry stools
- Weight loss you can’t explain
Next step
Start with registration.
New patient registration is online and takes a few minutes. Once it’s done, you can schedule your first visit yourself in the patient portal, or call 720-583-4686 to schedule.
Questions first? 720-583-4686