# Pinched Nerve can cause IBS?



## Guest (Oct 29, 1999)

Hi again. I was looking over old posts as usual and came upon something quite unusual. In one of the posts, someone suggested that there may be a connection between IBS and pinched nerve (affecting digestion); more specifically that a person starting experiencing IBS symptoms after a back injury and after it was corrected the problems went away. I think this is probably a silly presumption that lends itself to chiropractic application but I decided to get some feedback to see what anyone else thinks of this. Personally I did start noticing the very beginnings of my digestive problems after the time I injured my back in gymnastics. The injury was so severe I had to go to a Dr. who told my parents that the problem would heal on its own. I believe my tail bone was slightly "curved" out of place so that anytime I sat down I couldn't get back up immediately w/o feeling some kind of painful pulling down there. That's gone away now but I've also noticed that even though it's been years since the injury if I lie on the floor or anything level and firm (esp. doing sit ups in gym class) I can't do it because the tail bone causes a very uncomfortable pain - to do sit-ups I have to lean to one side instead of straight (like I used to be able to do before the injury.) Does this seem like anything I should look into whether IBS connected or not? I really don't like Drs.------------------"It's no use worrying about the things you can solve; no use worrying about the things you can't."


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## race_ttc (Sep 5, 1999)

I haven't seen any specific information on this yet, but there is quite a bit on oversensitize nerves in the intestinal walls. I wouldn't rule out the possibility that a pinched nerve could effect the digestive process. In my case, I believe my intestinal nerves are extremely oversensitized, and my thoughts can trigger these very easily.[This message has been edited by race_ttc (edited 10-28-1999).]


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## eric (Jul 8, 1999)

LawStudent, we did dicuss this before and most of us believe that a pinched nerve would not be the cause of IBS. Flux can probably give you a better explanation for this then myself,the post above is more likely the cause. It may however cause some difficulties with the two existing conditions effecting you together. ------------------ http://webpotential.com/ericibs/index.htm


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## Guest (Oct 29, 1999)

I doubt that IBS is a pinched nerve. I go to an excellent chiropractor for other things & feel quite certain if it was that simple I wouldn't be here (on this board).


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## zigmissus (May 19, 1999)

I don't know that I would totally rule out a connection, although I doubt it's the cause in most of our cases. I have heard cases of people permanently losing control of their bowel and bladder functions after a back injury. I have a book called "You Don't Have to Live with Cystitis" that states that "Lower back pain is also a leading cause of urinary tract infections in women" because disk stress "compresses the delicate nerves to the bladder." Couldn't this happen to the delicate nerves in the intestines?


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## Persistance (Jul 11, 1999)

Well, I know, yes, that lower back problems can cause bladder prlblems (slight urinary incontinence) because the nerves there can deaden. The neatest thing is how certain back exercises, especially the pelvic tilt, from down on the floor, with knees bent, lifting up your trunk -- can help both muscles. That exercise is awfully close to the well-known Kegel exercises for women. But it doesn't seem plausible to me that back problems would cause colon problems. To test it, you might try doing some back exercises which strengthen all the muscles around the disk, i.e., knees-to-chest and down, pelvic tilts, hamstring stretches (by "bicycling" in the air, half-crunches from the floor, with knees bent and so on. It takes about a month before the muscles are sufficiently strengthened to make a difference in the back.


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## Guest (Oct 30, 1999)

As others have said, I don't think you can make the case for pinched nerves causing IBS but it is possible that nerves in the lumbar area already irritated might aggravate the condition....I often have muscle spasms in my back roughly in the area of the waist traveling to left hip and leg...I notice at those times my colon also seems to act up on the left side..unfortunately, I can't afford to go to my chiropractor very frequently and frankly, who can say if it's the back bothering the colon or vice versa!


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## Patty (Mar 18, 1999)

I have had lower back pain and have gone to a Chiropractor about it and it happened before the onset of IBS. Never thought about any relationship between the two though....


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