Because the symptoms of digestive disorders are so ambiguous, identifying the organ of involvement is almost impossible using the medical model.

Take gas and bloating, for example. Are they caused by inadequate: HCI acid in the stomach, flow of bile to emulsify the food, enzyme production from the pancreas, bicarbonate secretion by the pancreas to activate the enzymes, sugar digesting enzyme production by the small intestine, or intestinal flora?

You can readily see the problems of using symptoms to make a differential diagnosis of digestive disorders. In addition, medicine lacks objective laboratory testing for making an accurate appraisal of the situation. This is the major reason so many over-the-counter remedies are available. Over $80 billion are spent each year on drugs to relieve heartburn, excess acid, bloating, gas, and other symptoms of indigestion.

Using the chiropractic model as a means of differential diagnosis makes the job much easier.

The primary abdominal organs of digestion are the stomach, biliary system, and pancreas. They receive their sympathetic nerve supply, generally, from T5 to T9. Therefore, a patient experiencing gas and bloating following meals will demonstrate muscle contractions and misalignments in that area of the spinal musculature. Turning the patient on his or her back and palpating the abdomen will usually identify the incompetent organ.