If you’re here, you already know that the sphincter of Oddi is a strategic muscular valve that regulates the movement of bile and pancreatic juice into the first part of the small intestine-duodenum.
What you probably don’t know is that the liver and pancreas are alkaline digestive glands. The pancreatic gland produces highly alkaline pancreatic juice, and the 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 all cause our bodies to become acidic and super acidic.
Acidity damages the pancreas and liver (bile) in many ways.
- It causes the precipitation of very aggressive and irritating substances such as bile acids.
Precipitated bile acids irritate the gallbladder and cause abdominal cramps or gallbladder attacks. 750,000 Americans lose their gallbladder each year. Many of them have acidic and congested bile.
- Acidity leads to premature activation of pancreatic digestive enzymes within this gland. Then pancreatitis occurs.
- Bile acidification is a common factor in the production of biliary sludge and gallstones.
- The liver eliminates toxic substances through the bile. Congested, acidic bile cannot adequately remove heavy metals, cholesterol, drugs, alcohol, bile pigments, and toxic metabolic substances in soluble form. Therefore, they can irritate the bile ducts and the sphincter of Oddi.
- Ultimately, the harsh bile acids, toxins, and gallstones eat away at and irritate the sphincter of Oddi causing spasm, inflammation that doctors call sphincter of Oddi dysfunction (SOD).
We now live in the age of pharmaceutical and surgical medicine, so it is not surprising that the typical treatment of SOD is the use of analgesics, drugs that reduce pain and spasms. In some situations, SOD patients are referred to psychiatrists and receive appropriate treatment. If it doesn’t help, surgeons come to the scene with virtuosic endoscopic manipulations like measuring the pressure inside the sphincter (manometry) or cutting the sphincter. Pharmaceutical and surgical approaches can reduce symptoms, but do not address the root of the problems. In addition, it is unsafe and expensive.
Speaking of 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 complete end failure of proper function of this muscular valve, especially after removal of the gallbladder. Let’s explain that.
If a person has attacks of pain in the upper right part of the abdomen and their imagination and blood tests are negative, it is a functional stage. Many doctors consider this condition as biliary dyskinesia or type III sphincter of Oddi dysfunction. In decades of my medical experience, I am certain that non-pharmacological and no-scalpel treatments are more suitable for this stage. If we make the bile and pancreatic juice alkaline and easy to move and we can reduce irritation and spasms, we can relieve pain and indigestion. Many doctors and medical professionals around the world have used the alkaline diet, Karlovy Vary healing mineral water, herbs and nutritional supplements, abdominal manipulations, and even medical hypnosis for hundreds of years. I have described this natural approach in detail in my books and articles.
If you received symptomatic therapy that only masks the symptoms, aggressive, acidic bile and pancreatic juice, biliary sludge, and gallstones continually damage the sphincter, leading to inflammation, scarring, and many structural problems. It can eventually cause more pain and indigestion. Imaging tests and blood tests confirm this damage. Constant spasms of the sphincter of Oddi cause high pressure and dilation of the common bile duct and pancreatic ducts that can be easily verified by a non-invasive ultrasound test.
In the structural stage, due to the low activity of bile and pancreatic digestive enzymes, various gastrointestinal symptoms occur, such as gas, bloating, belching, nausea, bile reflux, constipation, diarrhea, and more. Even in the structural stage, complementary medicine with a focus on acidic and congested bile can decrease pain and indigestion.
However, in sphincter of Oddi failure after gallbladder removal and multiple endoscopic manipulations and cuts, alternative medicine methods retain their benefits. The main idea is to keep the bile alkaline and liquid. For this we can use the alkaline diet, take Cellular Magnesium-Potassium, drink healing mineral water from Karlovy Vary and infusions.
Drinking healing mineral waters is popular in European countries in many digestive and metabolic disorders. In the case of sphincter of Oddi dysfunction, Karlovy Vary Healing Mineral Water can alkalize the entire body, and vitally the liver and pancreas, to make the bile liquid and alkaline. It can also dissolve gallstones, promote digestion and eliminate toxins. The safety and effectiveness of Karlovy Vary healing mineral water have been proven by 500 years of use and by numerous articles and medical studies.
Another ancient 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 age of opioid overuse. Additionally, acupuncture can treat opioid addiction.
Abdominal manipulations also have a long history. By using them, we can decrease the blockage of the bile ducts, adhesions, improve microcirculation and open the passage of bile and pancreatic juice.
Stress, especially constant stress, is a common reason for muscle spasms and abdominal pain. In turn, it creates additional stress that causes a vicious cycle. The sphincter of Oddi is no exception. Approaches to relieving stress for people with SOD may include acupuncture, massage, physical activity, taking herbs and supplements, and medical hypnosis.
The author of this article is against self-treatment by “miraculous” liver cleansing, hard diet, taking supplements or herbs of dubious quality. You never know what can be found in the jungle of the Internet. The practical way is to find the licensed doctor or group of professionals for safe and effective alternative medicine treatments,
The information in this article is presented for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for the diagnosis, treatment and advice of a qualified medical professional.