Acupuncture is very effective in the treatment of many common and even not-so-common digestive disorders. It appears that digestive issues are on the rise in recent years due to our fast-paced and stressful lifestyles. We often resort to eating on the run, eating late, or even skipping meals only to overeat in the evening. We also do not make proper food choices, often settling for what is fast, succumbing to cravings, and “making do” with limited menu choices while eating on the run.
Our food quality has also decreased in recent years due to pesticide use, decreased soil and water quality, hormones and antibiotics used to raise so called “healthy” slaughter animals.
You only need to observe the recent increase in television commercials and print advertisements exalting the benefits of another Western pharmaceutical for the treatment of: gas, bloating, swelling, diarrhea, constipation, stomach or intestinal pain, heartburn, ulcers, reflux, GERD, nausea, vomiting, Inflammatory Bowel Disease including ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), slow metabolism, weight gain and difficulty losing weight; to realize we are having a digestive system epidemic.
Acupuncture is effective and safe in the treatment of all the above listed conditions! Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal remedies also do not have any of the nasty side effects that are often associated with the consumption of Western pharmaceutical drugs.
The reason that Chinese herbs and Acupuncture are so effective in treating a wide range of digestive conditions is that the treatment is always specific to the patient. This means the same formula or treatment is not given to everyone with the same disease. We treat the “whole person” (holistic) in Oriental medicine and not just one or two of the presenting symptoms.
In traditional Oriental medical theory the internal organs have a broader function when compared with Western medicine’s physiological perspective. Each organ in Oriental theory has a physical, emotional and spiritual aspect. The Spleen, for instance, is considered the primary organ of digestion and includes the stomach and pancreas as part of its “functional unit”.
The Spleen “transforms” ingested food and fluids and “transports” the useable nutrients to the entire body. Since the Spleen provides nourishment for the entire body it also “controls the muscles and four limbs” ensuring adequate strength and coordinated movements. Many digestive problems are resolved when the spleen and stomach are treated in conjunction with a properly diagnosed and holistically approached acupuncture session.
Digestion not only refers to the digestion of foods but also to the digestion of thoughts and information. Over-thinking, over-analyzing and worry injure the Spleen and affect the digestive system in the same way overeating or poor dietary choices injure the digestive system, as this Stuhltransplantations post point out.
Just as one can over eat or consume poor quality foods, one can overthink or be exposed to negative stimuli (thoughts, messages, information) that will also adversely affect the entire digestive system.
Treatment of the Spleen “functional unit” once again becomes the perfect choice when treating digestive system diseases because of the Spleens ability to treat both the physical and emotional aspects of the digestive system.
A holistic acupuncture treatment for digestive disorders regulates blood and energy flow, removes blockages, clears inflammation, reduce swelling, decreases stress and supplements digestive weaknesses.