Gastrointestinal Disorders

Gastrointestinal disorders require an integrative approach to be effectively assessed and treated. Hippocrates said it best that “all disease begins in the gut” and our experienced doctors have seen this to be true. If a gastrointestinal disorder is not properly addressed, it can cause a plethora of other health issues such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, depression, anxiety, fatigue, allergies, and much more. At Aspen Integrative Medical Center in Flagstaff, Arizona, Amber Belt, ND, Paul Despres, NMD, and Alexandra Mele, ND, specialize in determining the underlying causes of your gastrointestinal symptoms and prescribing personalized treatment plans to get you back on track. To learn more about gut healing at Aspen Integrative Medical Center, call the office or schedule an appointment online today.

What are gastrointestinal disorders?

Gastrointestinal disorders refer to any symptom or disease that affects your gastrointestinal tract. This may include conditions involving your stomach, small intestine, or large intestine, as well as your gallbladder, liver, or pancreas. General gastrointestinal symptoms include diarrhea, constipation, bloating, acid reflux, and abdominal pain. 

Some of these conditions include:

• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Gallstones
• Liver disease
• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) – Crohn’s, Ulcerative Colitis, Celiac Disease 
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
• Gastritis
• Gastric ulcer
• Peptic ulcer disease (PUD)
• Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EOE) 

What are the causes of gastrointestinal disorders?

Your gut is filled with trillions of microorganisms that play a central role in supporting immune health, mental health, hormone levels, and your overall wellness. When your gut microbiome is healthy, you have the right balance of microorganisms to digest food, absorb nutrients, and get rid of waste. When your microbiome is out of balance (dysbiosis), it may cause numerous gastrointestinal issues like diarrhea, gas, abdominal pain or bloating, not to mention putting you at risk of developing health problems like Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. 

In addition to abnormal gut microbiome, here are other common causes of gastrointestinal disorders: 

• Leaky gut
• Auto-immune disease 
• Inflammation 
• Dietary choices
• Food allergies or intolerances
• Stress and anxiety
• Toxin burden – heavy metals, glyphosate, mold, mycotoxins
• Chronic infections – Klebsiella, parasites, Lyme disease, babesia, Bartonella, etc. 
• Trauma and PTSD
• Lack of exercise

What happens during an evaluation of a gastrointestinal disorder? 

You can expect a thorough evaluation when you visit Aspen Integrative Medical Center for help with a gastrointestinal disorder. Our providers review your medical history, conduct a comprehensive physical exam, and run diagnostic tests to find the root cause of your complaint. We determine if your symptoms due to maldigestion of food, malabsorption of nutrients, leaky gut, auto-immune processes, infection, abnormal gut microbiome, toxin accumulation, a structural abnormality, and so forth. Once the causes have been identified then a personalized treatment plan can be prescribed and get you back on track.

Which treatments improve gastrointestinal disorders?

Aspen Integrative Medical Center customizes care plans to best meet patient needs. Treatment for gastrointestinal disorders may include:

• Diet modifications 
• Pharmaceuticals
• Lifestyle therapy
• Herbal medicines
• Vitamin and mineral supplements
• Visceral manipulation
• Intravenous (IV) therapy
• Detoxification
• Infrared sauna
• Stress management
• Low level laser therapy
• Medical cannabis

Once your plan is in place, our provider will schedule regular follow-up visits to provide the ongoing support and education you need to make the lifestyle changes that improve gut health. We’ll also recheck diagnostic tests to make sure your plan is working.

For a natural healing approach to your gastrointestinal disorders, call Aspen Integrative Medical Center or schedule an appointment online today.