Not just opera songers. Any players of wind or brass instruments also need strong diaphragms.
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A fresh look at heartburn
Jessica Madge describes her determination to rid herself of acid reflux without resorting to medication.
"Could I get rid of my symptoms without taking drugs?"
At the age of 60, out of the blue, my oesophagus started playing up. I'd never had acid reflux symptoms but suddenly I had heartburn, a funny little cough and difficulty swallowing. For the first time in my life, eating lost its charm.
I remembered that my mother, in later life, complained of a hiatus hernia so I trotted off to my GP, who looked very bored and prescribed me a drug to reduce acid in my stomach. Was this it? I wondered. Did I have a hiatus hernia? Would I be on these drugs for the rest of my life? I looked at the official advice on managing reflux symptoms and it seemed rather general, with the same advice being offered for all kinds of indigestion: give up a long list of foods and drinks; try to prop yourself up at night; eat your evening meal early etc.
'Alternative' options seemed to be more of the same: give up lots of delicious things and eat more vegetables, preferably raw vegetables. I was already eating plenty of veg, thank you. Then there was the so-called 'acid diet' in which lemons are deemed to be 'alkaline'. This is an unfortunate hybrid between western alternatives and Chinese ideas about Yin/Yang - guaranteed to confuse if your problem is with real acid from your stomach.
Was this it? I wondered. Did I have a hiatus hernia? Would I be on these drugs for the rest of my life?
At this point I had a well-timed conversation with my son, a chiropractor. He adopted his guru voice and announced: 'It's something to do with your diaphragm mother and with all that yoga you've done, I'm sure you can sort it out.'
He directed me to his shelf of anatomy books and five minutes research confirmed that there's an inbuilt mechanical weakness at the junction between the oesophagus and the stomach. The valve-like mechanism that keeps acid in the stomach is naturally rather feeble and is easily damaged. The diaphragm is an integral part of this mechanism and if it's weak, it's all too easy for stomach acid to leak backwards and cause problems. But let's face it, apart from opera singers, not many people deliberately exercise their diaphragms.
So began a journey of exploration. How could I strengthen my diaphragm? What else could I do to improve the performance of this troublesome valve? Could I get rid of my symptoms without taking drugs?
The result, three years later, is a life free of symptoms. I can eat what I like and avoid the need for drugs - as long as I keep following my own advice.
Read more from Jessica Madge in her new book Reflux and Heartburn - The New Self-Help. Available as Kindle e-book and in print from Amazon. Other e-formats available on Smashwords.com.
By Jessica Madge
Twitter: @gransnet
I agree with you annsixty. Very disappointing! I don't suffer from reflux, but I know someone who does and would have liked to know 
Just advertising by any other name!
Hi jess I've recently had bouts of acid reflux and bought your book some time ago. It does make perfect sense and it gave me some pointers. Anyway my heartburn problems seem to have settled down, not least because I quickly worked out that e.g. I can't eat a starter, then pork belly, then a dessert, all washed down with wine, and then finish it with a cup of coffee ... and then go to bed! Doh.
Anyway ... my question is, is it not so that all types of exercise will strengthen the diaphragm? Thinking that perhaps my AR has improved because I am exercising more generally (Over 60s Dancersize - which means bopping to the likes of Neil Sedaka for an hour; and something called Fitness Pilates). So I'm thinking that the latter activities have contributed to the improvement in the digestive department. 
Ana , the clue was in the name 
I think there might be more than one Jess with a surname beginning with M! 
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