Constipation and Diarrhea: The Hidden Roles of Sympathetic Dominance, Chiropractic Care, and Enzyme Deficiencies
Constipation and diarrhea are two of the most common digestive complaints people experience, yet few understand the deeper physiological imbalances that drive them. Most patients are told their symptoms are “normal,” “stress-related,” or “diet-related.” While these factors do matter, they rarely tell the whole story. As a functional, holistic chiropractor specializing in internal health, Dr. Keith looks deeper—to the nervous system, the spine, and the body’s digestive chemistry.
When we connect the dots between sympathetic dominance, spinal stress, and enzyme deficiency, constipation and diarrhea suddenly make a lot more sense—and more importantly, they become fixable.
For more information, check out Dr. Keith’s lectures on Digestion:
The Nervous System: Your Digestive System’s Master Controller
Your digestive system is designed to work best in parasympathetic mode—the “rest, digest, and heal” state. This is when your stomach produces acid, your pancreas releases enzymes, and your intestines move food along rhythmically.
But today, far too many people live in sympathetic dominance—a chronic “fight or flight” mode triggered by mechanical, emotional and/or nutritional stress.
How Sympathetic Dominance Affects Digestion
When the sympathetic nervous system is activated:
- Blood is shunted away from the digestive organs
- Stomach acid and enzyme production decrease
- Peristalsis (intestinal movement) becomes irregular
- The ileocecal valve tightens or spasms
- The colon either slows down (constipation) or speeds up (diarrhea)
In other words, your body can’t prioritize digestion when it thinks it’s running from a predator—even if the “predator” is a deadline, relationship stress, poor posture, processed food, or chronic inflammation.
Constipation: When the System Slows to a Crawl
Chronic constipation is almost always a sign that the digestive system is running in slow motion. From a chiropractic and functional perspective, the most common causes include:
1. Sympathetic Dominance
Chronic stress inhibits the normal rhythmic contractions of the intestines, slowing transit time and allowing stool to become dry, compact, and difficult to pass. The bowel becomes toxic then negatively effects the rest of the body and your overall health.
2. Spinal Subluxations
Subluxations or misalignments in the cervical, thoracic or lumbar spine—especially around C1- C2, T5–L2—can disrupt nerve flow to the stomach, small intestine, colon, and pelvic floor muscles. When nerve supply is compromised, motility weakens.
3. Enzyme Deficiencies
If you’re not producing enough digestive enzymes, food isn’t broken down properly. Undigested proteins, fats, and carbohydrates sit in the digestive tract longer, fermenting, causing gas, and delaying elimination. Low pancreatic enzyme output is one of the silent drivers of chronic constipation.
4. Decreased Vagus Nerve Tone
The vagus nerve activates digestion. When the brain can’t communicate properly to the gut through the vagus nerve (decreased vagal tone) —often due to neck misalignments or chronic sympathetic dominance—the “digest” part of “rest and digest” never fully kicks in.
Diarrhea: When the System Speeds Up
On the opposite end is diarrhea—when food moves too quickly through the intestines. This is also heavily influenced by nervous system imbalance.
1. Stress-Induced Hyper-Motility
For some people, stress speeds digestion instead of slowing it. The sympathetic system triggers intestinal spasms, reduced absorption, and rapid elimination.
2. Inflammatory Responses
Poorly digested food (due to enzyme deficiencies) irritates the gut lining, prompting the body to flush it out rapidly.
3. Gallbladder or Fat Digestion Issues
If bile flow is weak or pancreatic lipase is low, undigested fats create loose, oily, or explosive stools.
4. Spinal Subluxations Affecting Gut Coordination
Subluxations in the neck, mid-back and low-back can disrupt the coordinated signaling needed for proper peristalsis, leading to alternating diarrhea and constipation—a pattern commonly seen in IBS.
The Chiropractic Connection
When Dr. Keith Giaquinto evaluates a patient with constipation or diarrhea, he always assess:
- Spinal alignment from the neck through the lumbar region
- Vagus nerve function
- Signs of sympathetic dominance (breathing patterns, posture, muscle tension)
- Nutritional and enzymatic deficiencies
Chiropractic adjustments help restore proper nerve flow, balance the autonomic nervous system, and improves vagal tone. When paired with targeted enzyme therapy, individualized nutrition, stress management techniques and lifestyle modifications, patients often see profound improvements—not just in bowel function, but in energy, mood, immunity, and overall health.
Digestive Symptoms Are Messages, Not Malfunctions
Constipation and diarrhea aren’t random. They are signals that something upstream—nervous system imbalance, poor enzyme output, mechanical, emotional and/or nutritional stress—is interfering with your body’s natural digestive rhythm.
When we address these root causes, the body doesn’t need to be “managed” with laxatives, fiber powders, or anti-diarrheal medications. It can heal itself.
If you’re struggling with chronic digestive issues, know this: your body isn’t broken—it’s overloaded. And with the right support, it knows exactly how to come back into balance.
If you’re ready to find lasting relief from heartburn, schedule a complimentary screening today with Dr. Keith Giaquinto in Naperville. Let’s get your digestive health back on track—naturally!