If you are here, you already know that sphincter of Oddi is a strategic muscle valve that regulates the moving bile and pancreatic juice to the first part of the small intestine-duodenum.
What you probably don't know that liver and pancreas are alkaline digestive glands. The pancreatic gland produces very alkaline pancreatic juice and liver creates alkaline bile. The alkalinity of bile and pancreatic juice is essential for digestive health. Unfortunately, modern foods, sedentary lifestyle, chronic infections, environmental toxins, and stress make our bodies acidic and super acidic.
Acidity damages pancreas and liver (bile) in many ways.
- It causes precipitation of the very aggressive, irritating substances such as bile acids.
Precipitated bile acids irritate gallbladder causing abdominal colic or gallbladder attacks. 750 thousand Americans lost their gallbladder each year. Many of them have acidic, congested bile.
- Acidity leads to premature activation of the pancreatic digestive enzymes inside this gland. So pancreatitis occurs.
- Acidification of bile is a common factor of the producing of the bile sludge and gallstones.
- The liver removes the toxic substances through the bile. Acidic, congested bile cannot properly eliminate in soluble form heavy metals, cholesterol, medications, alcohol, bile pigments, and toxic metabolic substances. Therefore, they can irritate the bile ducts and sphincter of Oddi.
- Finally, the aggressive bile acids, toxins, and gallstones corrode and irritate the sphincter of Oddi causing spasm, inflammation what doctor call as the sphincter of Oddi dysfunction (SOD).
We live now in the time of pharmaceutical and surgical medicine, so, it is no surprise that the typical treatment of SOD is the use of painkillers, medications, which decrease the pains and spasms. In some situations, patients with SOD are referred to psychiatrists, and receive appropriate treatments. If it is don't help, the surgeons come to the scene with virtuosic endoscopic manipulations such as measurement of the pressure inside the sphincter (manometry) or cutting the sphincter. The pharmaceutical and surgical approach can decrease the symptoms, but it doesn't focus on the root of the problems. Besides, it is unsafe and expensive.
Talking about sphincter of Oddi dysfunction, it is crucial to recognize the stage of this disorder. Relatively, it can be divided into three stages: functional, structural, and final-complete failure of the proper function of this muscle valve, especially after gallbladder removal. Let's explain that.
If a person has attacks of the right upper abdominal pains and his or her imagining and blood tests come negative, it is a functional stage. Many doctors consider this condition as biliary dyskinesia or sphincter of Oddi dysfunction type III. In decades of my medical experience, I sure that non-drug and non-knife treatments are more suitable for this stage. If we make the bile and pancreatic juice to be alkaline and easy moving and can reduce the irritation and spasms, we can relieve pain and indigestion. Many doctors and medical practitioners all over the globe have used alkaline diet, Karlovy Vary healing mineral water, herbs and nutritional supplements, abdominal manipulations, and even medical hypnosis for hundreds of years. I described in detail this natural approach in my books and articles.
If you got symptomatic therapy that just masks the symptoms, aggressive, acidic bile and pancreatic juice, bile sludge and gallstones continuously damage the sphincter leading to inflammation, scarring, and many structural problems. It can eventually cause more pain and indigestion. The imaging tests and blood tests confirm these damages. Constant spasms of the sphincter of Oddi leads to high pressure and dilatation of the common bile duct and pancreatic ducts that can be easy to verify by a noninvasive ultrasound test.
At the structural stage, due to the low activity of the bile and pancreatic digestive enzymes, there are various gastrointestinal symptoms occur such as gas, bloating, burping, nausea, bile reflux, constipation, diarrhea and more. Even in structural stage, the complementary medicine with the focus on the acidic, congested bile, can decrease the pain and indigestion.
Yet, in the failure of the sphincter of Oddi after gallbladder removal and multiple endoscopic manipulations and cuts, alternative medicine methods retain their benefits, The main idea is keeping the bile alkaline and liquid. To do so, we can use the alkaline diet, take Cellular Magnesium-Potassium, drink Karlovy Vary healing mineral water and herbal teas.
Drinking healing mineral waters are popular in European countries in many digestive and metabolic disorders. In the case of the sphincter of Oddi dysfunction, Karlovy Vary healing mineral water can alkalize the entire body and, what is vital, the liver and pancreas, to make bile liquid and alkaline. It can also dissolve the gallstones, promote digestion and elimination of toxins. Safety and efficiency of the Karlovy Vary healing mineral water was proven by 500 years of use and by many medical papers and studies.
Another millennial method of complementary medicine for the treatment of SOD is acupuncture. Regular acupuncture can reduce spasms, pain, nausea, heartburn, constipation, or diarrhea. It is essential in the era of the opioids overuse. Moreover, acupuncture can treat opioid addiction.
Abdominal manipulations also have a long history. By using them, we can diminish blockage of the bile ducts, adhesions, improve microcirculation, and open passage of the bile and pancreatic juice.
Stress, especially constant stress, is a common reason for muscle spasms and abdominal pain. In turn, it creates additional stress causing a vicious circle. The sphincter of Oddi is not an exception. Stress relieving approach for individuals with SOD may include acupuncture, massage, physical activity, taking herbs, and supplements, and medical hypnosis.
The author of this article is against of the self-treatment by using “miracle” liver cleansing, harsh diet, taking of dubious quality of the supplements or herbs. You never know what can be found in the jungle of the Internet. The practical way is to find the licensed medical practitioner or group of the professionals for safe and effective alternative medicine treatments,
The information on this article is presented for educational, informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for the diagnosis, treatment and advice of a qualified licensed medical professional.
