Irritable Bowel Disease and Acupuncture

Symptoms:

The symptoms vary and are characterised by various combinations of constipation and/or diarrhea, abdominal pain, sometimes mucus in the stool, flatulence, and vegetative symptoms. Mental stress is very significant in the etiology of this pyschosomatic disorder.

The Chinese Medicine way:

As in other disorders of the digestive organs, the symptoms are differentiated according to traditional diagnostic categories:

• Excess-type disturbances with damp-heat in the large intestine are apparent in acute cramping pain, acute diarrhea, or spastic constipation. Spleen deficiency often lies at the bottom of this condition. Vigorous needling is indicated in such cases.
• Deficiency-type disturbances are characterized by chronic constipation or chronic diarrhea with weakness symptoms, such as dull pain, lack of appetite, tiredness, depressive mood or anxiety state. Moxibustion is advisable in such cases.  Moxibustion of Mu and Shu Points of the large intestine, spleen, and sometimes stomach channels is very effective.