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105 of 108 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Healing Hiatal Hernia, July 7, 2000
Chronic digestive disorders are common complaints today, but Hiatal Hernia Syndrome (HSS) is one of the least suspected underlying reasons. Even when the condition is actually diagnosed, orthodox medicine has little to offer the HHS sufferer, except for symptom-suppressive drugs and dangerous surgery in extreme cases. The problem is often treated as a nuisance which the patient must "learn to live with." Theodore Baroody, the author of the featured book, offers a more encouraging viewpoint. A chiropractor and naturopath, who also holds a doctorate in nutrition, Dr. Baroody has identified an astoundingly wide range of symptoms that can be traced to the HHS, a condition which he estimates is undermining the health of 85% of the population. Having successfully treated numerous HHS patients, he is convinced that persistent application of the corrective measures detailed in the book can bring lasting relief to even the most difficult cases.When the HHS is present, the stomach is forced upward through a weakened, stretched diaphragm, for minutes or hours at a time, seriously impairing the individual's ability to properly digest and assimilate food. Symptoms typical of the HHS are belching, nausea, and regurgitation. With other seemingly unrelated complaints, such as breathing difficulties, allergies, irregular heartbeat, anxiety attacks, and colic or hyperactivity in children, involvement of the HHS is seldom suspected. Drawing on his profound understanding of physiology and nutritional symptomatology, Dr. Baroody offers the reader clear and insightful explanations of why these and numerous other conditions may be linked to the HHS. What causes a hiatal hernia, and why does it affect such a large number of individuals? Although sometimes the condition may have been induced by a mechanical injury, Dr. Baroody believes that the majority of cases are directly traceable to stress, more specifically our inappropriate reaction to stress. Emotions such as anxiety, anger, and frustration are always accompanied by tension in the stomach and the solar plexus, which has the second largest number of nerve interconnections in the body. The resultant contraction of the stomach and spasm in the disphragm ultimately produce the hiatal hernia. The most significant ensuing pathological change is pinching of the vagus nerve, which extends throughout the entire body, and is largely responsible for controlling the production of hydrochloric acid (HCL). When the vagus nerve is pinched, HCL secretion is curtailed, resulting in incomplete digestion of foods, thus catapulting the body into a state of malnutrition. The book's clear and precise explanations of the many aspects involved in this rather complicated process lay the necessary groundwork for understanding the self-help recommendations that follow. Dr. Baroody's nutritional recommendations for HHS sufferers emphasize a correct ratio of alkaline- and acid-forming foods (80/20 per cent); avoidance of refined foods; proper food combining; and quality supplements to aid in digestion and counteract deficiencies. In addition, there is a specific nutritional program for each HHS-linked health condition listed. Other points of interest include an illustrated explanation of how to check the abdominal area to determine if the HHS is present, and 'hands-on' instructions on how to manually correct the HHS in oneself or others, both for the relief of acute discomfort and the long-term prevention of a recurrence. A special chapter for health professionals lists the most frequently noted spinal misalignments accompanying the HHS, as well as other techniques which Dr. Baroody has found helpful in his own practice. This is an invaluable source book for both the HHS patient and the practitioner seeking to help those afflicted with the condition. Along with his well-researched and logically-presented professional advice, Dr. Baroody provides a generous dose of encouragement. Drawing on his extensive experience, he claims that "if the stomach can be kept in place for four to six months and proper measures taken to maintain correction by continued diet and one or more of the exercises given in the book, there is definite hope for long-term repair of the damaged disphragmatic muscle." For the millions of people who daily experience the considerable discomforts associated with a hiatal hernia, this is an infinitely better prospect than having to 'learn to live with' their problem!
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by Theodore A. Baroody
by Pamela Weintraub
by Robert O. Young
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