Many patients suffering from heartburn cringe at the thought of taking medications such as Prilosec and Nexium, called proton-pump inhibitors, for the rest of their lives.

That’s why a new trend in "treating" chronic heartburn--or gastroesophogeal reflux disease (GERD)--has made its way to the forefront: Endoscopic reflux treatments. What makes these types of treatments different from medications is that they are directed at strengthening the connection between the esophagus and the stomach, rather than trying to reduce the volume of what’s coming up from the stomach into the esophagus.

Endoscopic treatments are administered via the mouth and involve the insertion of a thin flexible tube with a tiny video camera to view the digestive tract.

FDA-Approved Endoscopic Procedures

• Stretta: Uses radio-frequency current to scar and narrow the esophagus, inhibiting back flow.

• Gastric plication: Involves sewing together parts of the stomach lining.

• Plicare: Similar to gastric plication but uses deeper stomach sutures.

• Enteryx: Involves implanting liquid polymers into the area where the esophagus joins with the stomach to support the sphincter.

The danger with endoscopic reflux treatments, however, is the lack of long-term test results. Additionally, laproscopic procedures, also used to "cure" GERD, were found to cause some 36 percent of patients to develop new bowel symptoms after their surgeries.

Will patients who undergo endoscopic procedures suffer the same fate?

New York Times May 31, 2005 (Registration Required)

Gary Craig’s Comment:

Interestingly, I looked up heartburn on the internet to discover its presumed cause and found many references such as the following:

"Acid is present in the stomach to digest food. Heartburn occurs when small amounts of this acid rise up into the gullet (oesophagus) - the tube which carries food from the mouth to the stomach. This is called reflux. The gullet, unlike the stomach, does not have a protective lining. So when it is exposed to the acid, it can become inflamed and painful."

Is this REALLY the cause of heartburn? I wonder about that! It may be a plausible EXPLANATION for the symptoms but wouldn’t a true cause tell us why "small amounts of acid rise up into the gullet?" When we answer THAT, then we are getting closer to the cause.

Dr. Mercola properly points to dietary considerations as both cause and cure and this is, of course, well taken. I simply wish to add that our emotional issues such as resentment, fear and trauma also create "negative chemistry" (including acid) in our bodies. This is a well-known medical fact and should, in my opinion, be included among the causes of most physical ailments. Regrettably, it tends to be ignored.

There are endless examples where Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) has been successfully used on emotional issues with the welcome "side effects" being the impressive cessation of physical ailments.