Conditions
Your gut and your brain are in constant conversation. Digestive symptoms can come with brain fog, fatigue, or anxiety, and stress can show up in your stomach. This page explains how the gut and the nervous system affect each other, covers common digestive concerns people ask us about, and describes how we approach them at Strong Tower. It is general information, not a diagnosis.
Seek medical help right away for chest pain, especially with shortness of breath or jaw or arm pain, since these can signal a heart attack (Mayo Clinic, April 2025). Call 911 or go to an emergency department for severe abdominal pain. See a doctor for weight loss, nighttime diarrhea, rectal bleeding, unexplained vomiting, or iron deficiency anemia, which Mayo lists as red flags that need evaluation (Mayo Clinic, October 2024).
Cleveland Clinic explains that signals travel both ways between the digestive system and the central nervous system. Nerves are the main channel, with hormones and the immune system also involved. The gut has its own network of more than 500 million neurons, called the enteric nervous system, which can handle many digestive functions locally. The vagus nerve is the main link between that network and the brain. Gut microbes also help make neurotransmitters and other chemicals that can reach the brain. Emotions can intensify gut sensations, and those sensations can raise stress, which creates a feedback loop. Cleveland Clinic notes that many claims about the microbiome are framed as "studies suggest" or "may," and that human results are still mixed (Cleveland Clinic, September 2023).
The vagus nerve has its own page: Vagus Nerve.
Mayo Clinic describes IBS as a common, long-term condition with belly pain, cramping, or bloating linked to bowel movements, and changes in how often you pass stool. The cause is not fully known. Contributing factors include muscle contractions in the intestines, poorly coordinated signals between the brain and intestines, past severe gastrointestinal infection, early-life stress, and differences in gut microbes. Stress can worsen symptoms but does not cause IBS. Most people manage it with diet, lifestyle, and stress management (Mayo Clinic, October 2024). For functional gut disorders, Cleveland Clinic says mind-body approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy and relaxation training may help, especially in combination.
Mayo Clinic describes GERD as stomach contents flowing back into the esophagus, causing heartburn, a sour taste, chest or upper belly pain, trouble swallowing, or a lump in the throat. It happens when the muscle at the bottom of the esophagus relaxes at the wrong time or weakens. Risk factors include obesity, hiatal hernia, pregnancy, and delayed stomach emptying. See a doctor if symptoms are severe or frequent, or if you take heartburn medicine more than twice a week (Mayo Clinic, April 2025). We see our care as complementary to your medical care for reflux.
SIBO is an abnormal increase of bacteria in the small intestine. Symptoms can include loss of appetite, belly pain, nausea, bloating, feeling full quickly, and diarrhea. Causes include abdominal surgery, structural problems, and conditions that slow intestinal movement such as Crohn's disease, celiac disease, scleroderma, or diabetes. It is usually checked with a breath test, which is widely available but less specific. See a doctor for persistent diarrhea, rapid unintentional weight loss, or abdominal pain lasting more than a few days (Mayo Clinic content, January 2025).
"Leaky gut" is a popular term for a gut lining that lets things through that should stay in. Cleveland Clinic notes that it is not currently recognized as a medical diagnosis. Increased intestinal permeability is seen in some chronic gut diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease and celiac disease. Cleveland Clinic says treating the underlying condition is the way to support the gut lining, and that probiotics, prebiotics, balanced nutrition, and a short low-FODMAP diet may help (Cleveland Clinic, April 2022). We do not diagnose leaky gut. If you have ongoing digestive symptoms, a gastroenterologist can look for the cause.
Inflammation in the gut can be part of conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease and celiac disease, which need a medical diagnosis. The microbiome, the community of microbes in your gut, is an active area of research. Cleveland Clinic suggests a varied, mostly whole-food, plant-rich diet with fiber and fermented foods to support gut microbes, and notes that microbiome-targeted treatments are still being explored (Cleveland Clinic, September 2023). Our care can include general nutrition and lifestyle guidance.
Loss of appetite has many possible causes, including stress, medicines, infection, and digestive and other conditions. Cleveland Clinic lists appetite loss among possible symptoms of vagus nerve problems, along with nausea, acid reflux, and abdominal pain (Cleveland Clinic, January 2022). Unintentional weight loss needs a medical evaluation.
Mayo Clinic describes menstrual cramps as throbbing or cramping pain in the lower abdomen, often starting 1 to 3 days before a period and easing within 2 to 3 days. They are caused by uterine contractions triggered by prostaglandins. Cramps can also come from conditions such as endometriosis, fibroids, or adenomyosis. See a doctor if cramps disrupt daily life every month, steadily get worse, or start after age 25 (Mayo Clinic, April 2022). We see our care as complementary to a medical evaluation.
Dr. Wright is a Doctor of Chiropractic with advanced training in functional neurology. Digestive symptoms need a medical evaluation first. After that, we look at how the nervous system may be contributing, including how the vagus nerve and autonomic nervous system are working, and we can offer nutrition and lifestyle guidance.
Two-way communication between your digestive system and your nervous system, mainly through nerves, hormones, and the immune system.
Stress can make symptoms worse in conditions like IBS, but Mayo Clinic says it does not cause IBS.
Cleveland Clinic says it is not currently recognized as a medical diagnosis, though increased intestinal permeability itself is real.
These conditions need a medical diagnosis and care. We offer support alongside that care, and we tell you honestly if it is not a fit.
It is the main link between the gut and the brain. See our Vagus Nerve page.
Next steps
If your digestive symptoms and your nervous system seem tied together,