SIBO Treatment in Dana Point, CA

The small intestine is built to absorb, not to host a heavy ferment. When bacteria there break down carbohydrates, gas can build under the ribs within an hour or two of eating. You may look pregnant by evening, belch, or swing between diarrhea and constipation.

That pattern is the concept behind SIBO. It is not a verdict you can make from bloating alone. Dr. Sani Kohen, D.C. and Dr. Tara Kohen, D.C. ask what you ate, how soon symptoms started, and whether an antibiotic, a stomach bug, or abdominal surgery came first.

SIBO breath testing measures gases in your breath after a sugar drink. Lactulose is not absorbed early, so it travels farther down the intestine. A rise can reflect the small bowel, and it can also reflect fermentation once the drink reaches the colon, which is why timing is part of the reading.

Glucose is absorbed higher up, so it mainly challenges the upper small intestine and can miss a problem farther down. Neither sugar is a better test for every person. FRI chooses with you, then reads the graph next to symptoms. A number without a story is not a plan.

A positive breath test in someone who bloats after meals is a different situation from a positive test in someone who feels well. FRI does not treat the printout as the patient. Constipation, diarrhea, and upper abdominal swelling point the plan in different directions.

Stool testing answers a colon question, not this one. The gut health overview explains when GI-MAP is the better first step. If food reactions dominate the history, that is yet another page. Stacking tests without a reason is how people end up confused.

In Functional Medicine, some people feel better when fermentable carbohydrates are reduced for a while. Others get worse if the diet becomes so narrow that they under-eat. Nutrition and supplementation is built around what you tolerate and what the test showed. There is no herbal antibiotic dose on this page, and no brand protocol.

Functional medicine at FRI does not replace a primary physician, endocrinologist, gastroenterologist, or mental health clinician. Weight loss you did not intend, bleeding, or vomiting needs medical care. A breath test does not rule those out.

You can start with a complimentary 20-minute consultation. The office is out of network, accepts HSA and FSA payment, and provides a superbill. Visits run Monday–Thursday, 9–6.

If a breath test is ordered, you follow a prep diet and a collection schedule. Results are reviewed with your symptom timing. Any food change is revisited, not handed down as a permanent menu.

Boat and board use points us toward shoulder pain, neck pain, and lower back pain. Cliff paths and the strand point toward knee pain and plantar fasciitis. A gait and posture exam is more useful here than a generic stretch sheet when the foot is spending half its life on a deck and half on pavement.

Digestive complaints show up too, especially in people who eat late after being on the water all day. Gut health and SIBO pages explain how we think about testing. A SIBO breath test is one tool, used when the symptom pattern fits, not as a default. The city hub is the Dana Point chiropractor page.

Bring the shoes you actually walk in, including deck shoes if that is your day. Imaging reports help when you already have them. You do not need a referral. If another physician is following a fracture, a post-op joint, or a medication, tell us their name so care stays coordinated. We do not change prescriptions.

Fees are out of network. Superbills and HSA/FSA cards are the usual path for Dana Point patients. Confirm reimbursement with your plan. Meet the doctors on the about page and see the clinic on the office page before the drive if that makes the first visit easier.

Dana Point splits into a few physical lives. The harbor means lines, decks, and carrying gear. Doheny and the strand mean sand and boards. Monarch Beach and the Headlands mean stairs and cliff paths. Lantern Village means more standing and short walks. A low back that hurts after a morning on a boat is questioned differently from a low back that hurts after a desk above Pacific Coast Highway. Tell us which Dana Point you actually use during the week.

Wind and cool mornings also change how people warm up. Many patients go from a still house to a cold deck without any ramp. That is not a moral failing. It is a reason a tendon complaint needs a loading plan, not only a rub. Rotator cuff and neck pain visits often start with that sequence.

From the harbor and from most of Dana Point, I-5 north to La Paz or Oso, then local streets to La Alameda, is the straightforward drive. About 11 miles, often 18 to 30 minutes. Summer beach traffic on PCH and a slow I-5 can add time, so do not cut the appointment to the minute. The suite is 26400 La Alameda, Suite 100, Mission Viejo, CA 92691. Building parking. Monday through Thursday, 9 to 6.

You are close enough that a course of care does not have to be an all-day project. That proximity is useful only if the visits are worth making. We would rather see you less often with a clear home plan than park you on a standing weekly adjustment. Phone (949) 312-1754. The complimentary 20-minute consultation is the low-stakes way to decide.