As western diets become increasingly processed, intestinal complaints have become more common. Food allergies and intolerances have skyrocketed, as have incidence rates of intestinal cancers and long-term related diseases.
Traditional Chinese medicine restores the balance of Qi (body energy) in the intestines, leading to healthier function and improved digestive process.
CONSTIPATION
Constipation can be a result of a number of lifestyle behaviours, such as not consuming enough liquids or fibre, lack of exercise or simply not going to the toilet when the urge is felt.
From a traditional Chinese medicine perspective, it can be caused by a number of patterns of disharmony in the body, including excess patterns of disharmony (such as excess heat or Qi stagnation), or deficiency patterns (like Qi, blood, yin or yang deficiencies).
Acupuncture stimulates the meridians of the body through which Qi flows, which can help to loosen and soften the stools. In some cases of constipation, herbs can also be effective.
INDIGESTION
Eating a large meal, or one that is high in fats can cause the body to experience indigestion. Symptoms include a feeling of fullness, discomfort, belching, abdominal pain and bloating.
The cause of indigestion, according to traditional Chinese medicine, is food stagnation, and may be accompanied by spleen deficiency. It can also be a result of stress.
Research has shown that acupuncture can be effective in the treatment and prevention of indigestion, as it stimulates energy to the liver, gall bladder, stomach and spleen—which are the primary channels for digestion—as well as the small and large intestines, enabling the body to better transport food and absorb its nutrients.
IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is an intestinal disorder causing a variety of symptoms, which may include cramping, abdominal pain, gas, bloating, and irregular bowels.
IBS symptoms are frequently triggered by stress, emotional factors, or the ingestion of food.
In Western medicine, IBS affects the large and small intestines in Western medicine, but in traditional Chinese medicine, the spleen, liver, kidney and large intestine can all play a role in the pattern of disharmony. People might suffer from spleen Qi (energy) deficiency, spleen and kidney Yang deficiency, liver Qi stagnation and some other patterns.
Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can be used to treat IBS, with treatments being tailored depending on the specific condition. For example, in the case of a spleen Qi deficiency, acupuncture and herbal medicine willl help and nourish spleen Qi.