Description
Dr. Meer Akbar Ali, a neuro-gastroenterologist at UAMS Health, explains the complex relationship between the gut and the nervous system, and how it plays a role in common yet often misunderstood digestive disorders. From reflux and constipation to slow stomachs and fecal incontinence, motility-related issues affect millions of Americans. Using advanced tools like endoscopy, motility studies, gastric stimulators, and innovative medications—including vibrating pills for constipation—Dr. Ali and his team offer cutting-edge, compassionate care. He also emphasizes the critical impact of diet, stress, and gut microbiota on digestive health. At UAMS Health, patients can find real answers and relief without needing to leave Arkansas.
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Transcript
I do neuro-gastroenterology and to explain that a little further the gut is a muscular organ from the mouth to the anus and it propels what we eat, helps in digestion, and keeps up our nutrition. When everything is working fine we really don’t think much about it but there is a lot of very
complex interplay between the nervous system, hormonal system, other effects anything that can affect nerves and muscles that goes behind it and those are the diseases that I take care of. 50% of patients who come to the GI clinic can have motility issues. 30% of Americans have reflux issues. 20% of Americans have constipation. 10% have nausea vomiting. 5% have fecal incontinence that they can’t hold their bowels and up to 2% have slow stomachs. That’s a very large number of patients and things that can trouble them. With uh neuro-gastroenterology we have the tools to
evaluate. We can do endoscopy which is where the patient is sleeping, sedated we can put camera down to look at the gut. We have X-ray studies and some radionucleotide studies that can help see the motility and see how things are moving these are exciting times for gastroenterology
we have a lot of tools and medications available to help help these patients we have procedures that can disrupt the floodgates that uh can prevent movement normal movement of things. We have medications that can help with this. We are working on something called gastric stimulators that can help patients with slow stomachs and long long-standing nausea vomiting. Along with medications for constipation we have these vibrating pills that are not that are now available that can have longstanding constipation. I have patients with uh what is called cyclical vomiting syndrome that is long-standing vomiting for unclear reasons we can help those patients sometimes with anti-migraine and anti-seizure medications so many tools available to help the sick cohort of patients. Diet and stress both have a significant effect on the gut it affects the neriolin input and output from the gut as well as hormonal and it has a direct bearing on dysbiosis of the microbiota that is that it alters our normal bacteria fungi and viruses that are in the gut and that can cause a lot of disease. There is a condition called gastroparesis gastro meaning stomach paresis meaning a paralyzed or a slow stomach. It affects 2% of patients. Patients who have diabetes uh can often have this condition. People who have gastroparesis have long-standing nausea and vomiting they are extremely uncomfortable and the stomach that is not emptying appropriately can be helped by a gastric stimulator these stimulators are placed with minimal invasive surgery and they help emptying the stomach and taking care of the nausea vomiting once the stimulator is placed we can adjust it the settings based on patient symptom response.
