Re: I figured out something about GERD

It's gonna sound crazy, but please try it and let me know if it works for you. The approach I took was a totally mechanical one. I'll explain my thinking and my results, if you'll bear with me.

1. I was having severe, constant reflux and little stuck burps for two weeks. Nothing seemed to help. I was taking Pepcid Complete twice a day, and it wasn't doing anything.

2. I remembered a doctor friend of mine saying (during a casual phone call) "Gee, maybe you have a hiatal hernia."

3. I looked up hiatal hernia on the web. Seems like it's not considered a big deal, in and of itself, unless it causes other problems (like reflux).

4. I took a look at a picture of a hiatal hernia, and I read about how the lower esophageal sphincter uses intra-abdominal pressure to close itself. When it gets pushed up above the diaphragm, no pressure. So it doesn't close. So, reflux.

5. I thought... "How can I get that sucker back down there?"

6. Here's what I do. I drink a glass of water or eat an apple (to get some weight in the stomach). I put my forearms on top of my head. I jump up and down, and every time my feet hit the ground I exhale sharply to raise the diaphragm a little. What I'm trying to do is shake the stomach back through the hiatus.

It sounds crazy, but it's been working pretty well for me. I'm hoping a few other people will try it so that I can see if it works for them too. It's important to do all the steps at once-- it doesn't seem to work if you leave one out. So:

1. Drink a glass of water or eat something dense (like an apple). I drink a LARGE glass of water.

2. Put your forearms on your head to raise the diaphragm.

3. Jump (slowly-- one jump per second) and exhale sharply (or cough) exactly when you hit the ground. Jump several times.

Please let me know if it works for you. It's worked for me, and I really want to know other people's experiences with the "Conrad Bounce" .
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