Burning chest, sour taste, and nights you dread?
Heartburn after meals, a bitter taste in your throat, a cough that will not quit: acid reflux can shape what you eat, how you sleep and how you feel. Alongside your doctor’s advice on food and habits, a gentle look at your posture and the top of your neck may be one more piece worth checking.
What is acid reflux?
Acid reflux happens when stomach acid flows back up into the esophagus, the tube that carries food to your stomach. A small valve at the bottom of that tube, the lower esophageal sphincter, is meant to stay closed after you swallow. When it relaxes at the wrong time, acid can rise and cause burning. When this happens often, it is called GERD.
See a medical doctor promptly if you have trouble swallowing, vomit blood, pass black stools or lose weight without trying. Chest pain can also be a heart problem, so call 911 for chest pain with shortness of breath, sweating or pain spreading to the arm or jaw.
Common signs include:
- Burning behind the breastbone, often after meals
- A sour or bitter taste in the mouth
- Food or liquid coming back up
- A cough, hoarse voice or sore throat that lingers
- A feeling of a lump in the throat
- Symptoms that are worse when lying down or bending over
- A relaxed or weakened valve at the bottom of the esophagus
- Large meals, late meals or lying down soon after eating
- Spicy, fatty or acidic foods, coffee, alcohol and smoking
- Extra pressure on the belly from weight gain or pregnancy
- A hiatal hernia, where part of the stomach pushes up through the diaphragm
- Stress and some medications
What causes acid reflux?
Reflux usually comes from a combination of things, such as:
Most of these are matters for you and your doctor. What upper cervical care adds is a close look at posture and at strain in the neck, which is where we start.
How upper cervical care can help
Reflux is not only about the stomach. How you sit, stand and carry your head, neck and trunk can change how much pressure builds up after a meal. Our posture evaluation and exam help us see where your body is holding strain, and a gentle adjustment at the top of the neck aims to ease it.
We aim for comfort and better posture, alongside the food and lifestyle steps that matter most for reflux, such as smaller meals and not lying down right after eating. We cannot promise a change in your symptoms. Keep taking any medication your doctor has prescribed, speak with them before changing it, and see a medical doctor if heartburn happens often.
Posture after meals
Slouching on the couch or bending forward soon after eating can push acid upward. We look at how you sit and stand, so you can see how posture may be adding pressure.
Neck and shoulder tension
Tight shoulders and a stiff neck often travel with stress, and stress is a common reflux trigger. We look for tension at the top of the neck that may add to that cycle.
Comfort at night
Reflux is often worse when lying down. We look at how your head and neck are carried, since a neck pulled forward can make a comfortable, propped-up position harder to find.
Know your triggers
We encourage you to keep a short food and symptom note and share it with your doctor. It helps connect flare-ups to meals, stress and posture.
What to expect
Day 1
Your first visit
A consultation with the doctor at the office you choose, a thorough exam, and 3D imaging of your cervical spine with our CBCT scanner. We also do a detailed posture evaluation with advanced software, neurological testing and muscle assessments.
Day 2
Your report of findings
The doctor goes over your history, your exam and posture results, your neurological findings and your 3D images with you, and explains a care plan made for you.
Ongoing
Gentle care, checked as you go
Gentle upper cervical adjustments with no twisting, cracking or popping, and regular progress checks so your plan follows how you are doing.
Why choose Apollo?
Specialized care
We focus on upper cervical chiropractic, a highly targeted and refined approach.
A plan made for you
Every patient is different. Your care plan is built around your own exam and your 3D imaging.
Gentle, with no cracking
Our methods are very gentle: no twisting, cracking or popping.
An experienced doctor
Dr. Kosta Tsakalos brings deep clinical experience and a caring, detail-oriented approach to every visit.
Every person is different, and results vary. Read what our patients say on our testimonials page.
Let us help you get started
If you are dealing with acid reflux, we are here to help. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Kosta Tsakalos and find out whether upper cervical chiropractic care is right for you.
Related conditions we help with
- Fibromyalgia
- Chronic Fatigue
- Insomnia
- Anxiety
- Depression
- High Blood Pressure
- Digestive Issues
- Allergies
- See every condition
This page is general information. It is not a diagnosis or medical advice. If your symptoms are sudden or severe, please seek medical care right away.