Overcoming Chronic Digestive Conditions

Embedded within our digestive system is the enteric nervous system, our “second brain,” which serves to protect us from the external world of adversity, including not only viruses and bacteria, but also traumatic events. As Nikki Kenward, CST-D, MCSS, explains, past challenges and traumas, whether emotional or physical, are held in the enteric nervous system in many ways, including fascial tension, cellular changes, and unhelpful “default settings.” Exploring in depth what she calls “the Post-Traumatic Gut,” Kenward describes the anatomy and physiology of the enteric nervous system, including the polyvagal system, and the many ways that our emotional history and current emotional state can impact our digestive system. Sharing recent research, she describes the science behind the emotional gut and how to apply it to chronic digestive issues like IBS and Crohn's disease as well as mental health issues such as anorexia, bulimia, anxiety,