Spine and Gut Health: The Connection Explained

Holistic Healing: Spine, Gut, and Injury Recovery with Dr. Alex Jimenez

At Personal Injury Doctors Group in El Paso, TX, we believe in restoring health naturally after injuries. Led by Dr. Alex Jimenez, a renowned chiropractor and nurse practitioner, our clinic combines chiropractic care, targeted exercises, and integrative medicine to support spine and gut health while aiding recovery from accidents. This article examines the benefits of exercises such as walking, yoga poses, and core workouts for the back and digestion, complemented by Dr. Jimenez’s expertise in treating musculoskeletal injuries resulting from motor vehicle accidents (MVAs), work, or sports.

Your spine and gut are deeply connected. Poor spinal alignment can disrupt digestion by compressing abdominal organs, while gut issues like bloating can strain your posture, worsening back pain. Simple movements can improve both systems, promoting healing and preventing chronic issues. Dr. Jimenez’s holistic approach at Chiropractic Scientists enhances these benefits, ensuring comprehensive recovery.

Dr. Alex Jimenez: Leading Integrative Injury Care

Dr. Alexander Jimenez, DC, APRN, FNP-BC, brings over 30 years of experience to Personal Injury Doctors Group. Specializing in functional medicine, he treats injuries from MVAs, workplace incidents, sports, and daily life. His clinic is a hub for non-invasive care, using chiropractic adjustments, massage, acupuncture, and tailored exercises to address injury causes.

For personal injury cases, Dr. Jimenez excels in medical and legal support, providing detailed documentation for insurance claims. His dual-scope diagnosis—combining chiropractic and medical assessments with advanced imaging—ensures precise treatment plans. This approach promotes natural healing, reduces inflammation, and prevents long-term complications, such as chronic pain or limited mobility (Jimenez, n.d.).

Patients benefit from his integrative methods, which have earned him awards such as El Paso’s top chiropractor from 2015 to 2024. Whether it’s whiplash, sciatica, or soft tissue damage, Dr. Jimenez’s protocols restore function and vitality.

Step It Up: Walking for Recovery and Digestion

Walking is a cornerstone of recovery and wellness. This low-impact exercise strengthens the back muscles, improves spinal alignment, and reduces pain, making it an ideal choice for MVA recovery. It also enhances blood flow to injured tissues, speeding healing (Mission Health, n.d.).

For gut health, walking stimulates intestinal motility, easing constipation and bloating often exacerbated by injury-related inactivity. Aim for 30 minutes daily at a brisk pace. Post-meal walks can further aid digestion, reducing acid reflux (Cleveland Clinic, n.d.).

Dr. Jimenez incorporates walking into rehab plans, ensuring patients regain mobility safely.

Yoga for Healing: Cat-Cow, Child’s Pose, and Twists

Yoga offers gentle stretches that benefit both spine and gut. Cat-cow, a flowing sequence of arching and rounding the back, increases spinal flexibility and relieves tension. It also massages abdominal organs, promoting digestion and easing bloating (ACRI, n.d.).

Child’s pose provides restful relief: kneel, fold forward, and breathe deeply. It stretches the lower back while compressing the abdomen to reduce gas (Institute of Living, n.d.). Seated spinal twists enhance mobility by rotating the torso, stimulating organs, and improving waste elimination (NMR, n.d.; SC Gastro, n.d.).

These poses, used in Dr. Jimenez’s therapy, help reduce stress and support recovery from injuries such as whiplash or sprains.

Core Power: Planks and Bird-Dog for Strength

A strong core stabilizes the spine, crucial for injury prevention and recovery. Planks build endurance in the abs, back, and obliques. Hold a straight-body position on forearms and toes for 20-30 seconds. This supports posture, reducing strain on injured areas and aiding gut function by maintaining organ alignment (Hackensack Meridian Health, 2023).

Bird-dog enhances balance: from all fours, extend the opposite arm and leg. It strengthens spinal stabilizers, helping conditions like sciatica or herniated discs (Harvard Health, n.d.; Better Health Alaska, n.d.).

Dr. Jimenez prescribes these for patients recovering from MVAs or work injuries, ensuring long-term stability.

Stretching for Relief: Knee-to-Chest and Beyond

Knee-to-chest stretches are simple yet effective. Lying down, pull one knee to your chest, hold, then switch. This decompresses the lower spine, easing pain from accidents, and gently presses the abdomen to improve bowel movements (Mayo Clinic, n.d.).

These stretches align with Dr. Jimenez’s focus on restoring flexibility post-injury, especially for low back pain or trauma from collisions.

Breathe Easy: Diaphragmatic Breathing for Wellness

Diaphragmatic breathing—inhaling to expand the belly, exhaling slowly—reduces stress, a common trigger for gut issues and muscle tension. It oxygenates tissues, aiding recovery, and activates the “rest and digest” system for better motility (Health Central, n.d.; Healthline, n.d.).

Dr. Jimenez integrates this into treatment to enhance healing from musculoskeletal injuries.

Targeted Injury Solutions at Chiropractic Scientists

Dr. Jimenez addresses diverse injuries at Personal Injury Doctors Group. For MVAs, he treats whiplash and spinal trauma with adjustments and durable medical equipment like braces (Chiropractic Scientists, n.d.). Work injuries, such as repetitive strains, benefit from ergonomic advice and core exercises. Sports injuries, like ACL tears, receive agility-focused rehab, while personal injuries get customized plans.

His integrative approach includes massage for soft tissue healing, acupuncture for inflammation, and nutrition to support tissue repair. Legal documentation ensures seamless claims processes, reflecting his comprehensive care model (Jimenez, n.d.).

Building a Healthier Routine

Start with short walks, add yoga twice weekly, and incorporate planks gradually. If injured, follow Dr. Jimenez’s guidance to avoid strain (Mendon Chiropractor, 2025). These habits, paired with professional care, promote lasting health.

Conclusion: Your Path to Recovery

From walking to yoga, these exercises enhance spine and gut health, complementing Dr. Jimenez’s expert care at Personal Injury Doctors Group. Embrace holistic healing for a pain-free, vibrant life.

References

• ACRI. (n.d.). Exercises for digestive health. https://acripc.com/feel-your-best-in-2023-5-exercises-for-better-digestive-health.htm
• All Injury Rehab. (n.d.). Top 3 spine health exercises. https://allinjuryrehab.com/spine-health-exercises/
• Better Health Alaska. (n.d.). 9 exercises for L5-S1 pain relief. https://betterhealthalaska.com/exercises-for-l5-s1-pain-relief/
• Chiropractic Scientists. (n.d.). Personal injury, trauma & spine rehab specialists. https://personalinjurydoctorgroup.com/
• Clarion Psychiatric Center. (n.d.). The effects of exercise on mental health. https://clarioncenter.com/blog/the-effects-of-exercise-on-mental-health/
• Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Exercise for a healthy gut. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/gut-health-workout
• Dr. Alex Jimenez. (n.d.). Injury specialists. https://dralexjimenez.com/
• Hackensack Meridian Health. (2023). 5 easy spinal stenosis exercises. https://www.hackensackmeridianhealth.org/en/healthu/2023/12/28/5-easy-spinal-stenosis-exercises
• Harvard Health. (n.d.). Stretching and strengthening exercises to relieve and prevent lower back pain. https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/stretching-and-strengthening-exercises-to-relieve-and-prevent-lower-back-pain
• Harvard Health. (n.d.). Three moves for better spine health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/three-moves-for-better-spine-health
• Health Central. (n.d.). Best exercises for digestion. https://www.healthcentral.com/digestive-health/exercises-for-digestion
• Healthline. (n.d.). Yoga for constipation. https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/yoga-for-constipation
• Institute of Living. (n.d.). Yoga poses for wellness. https://instituteofliving.org/health-wellness/news/newsroom-detail?articleId=63356&publicid=466
• LinkedIn. (n.d.). Dr. Alexander Jimenez profile. https://www.linkedin.com/in/dralexjimenez/
• Mayo Clinic. (n.d.). Back exercises in 15 minutes a day. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/back-pain/art-20546859
• Mendon Chiropractor. (2025). Staying active while in pain. https://www.585chiropractor.com/blog/2025/7/26/staying-active-while-in-pain-exercise-tips-for-when-youre-dealing-with-discomfort
• Mission Health. (n.d.). Easy spine-strengthening exercises. https://www.missionhealth.org/healthy-living/blog/easy-spine-strengthening-exercises-to-improve-spinal-health-at-home
• NMR. (n.d.). Seated spinal twist for gut health. https://www.nmrnj.com/seated-spinal-twist-for-gut-health/
• SC Gastro. (n.d.). 5 effective exercises to support digestive health. https://scgastro.com/5-effective-exercises-to-support-digestive-health/
• VCare at Home. (n.d.). 5 simple exercises to strengthen the spine. https://vcareathome.com/blogs/5-simple-exercises-to-strengthen-spine
• YouTube. (2025). Abdominal bracing 101. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFJaf-LUCg8