Healthy Living

How to Use Acupuncture to Treat IBS

How to Use Acupuncture to Treat IBS

Irritable bowel syndrome is also referred to as mucous colitis or spastic colon. It’s labeled a syndrome since it involves multiple symptoms that vary from each person who is affected. It’s a mobility disorder of the large and small intestines. IBS-related symptoms include constipation, diarrhea, and abdominal cramping. IBS might also be accompanied by nausea, flatulence, and bloating. Symptoms are usually aggravated by stress. IBS episodes might also be triggered by eating, and are often alleviated after a bowel movement.

The exact cause of IBS isn’t yet known. Nevertheless, what doesn’t cause the syndrome is quite clear. IBS isn’t a structural disorder, meaning there are no anatomical changes, nor is it infectious or biochemical in nature. Research indicates that IBS is directly linked to the gastrointestinal system as well as the brain, which would be the reason why IBS flare-ups are sometimes aggravated by emotional stress.

Treating IBS with Acupuncture

Whilst other patterns might be available, IBS is often considered as an acute unrest between your liver and spleen. The liver maintains a smooth flow of fluids across the body. Sometimes, this flow can get disrupted by emotional stress resulting in stagnation of blood or Qi. Acupuncture considers the spleen as an organ responsible for digestion and transformation of food particles into energy. Certain factors can weaken the skin, including fatigue, lack of exercise, overeating of unhealthy foods, anxiety, and overwork. When your liver is weak and the liver isn’t moving smoothly, an overreaction of the liver against the spleen might occur resulting in IBS.

A liver or spleen disharmony appears just like temporary appetite loss. With IBS, nonetheless, the phenomenon occurs gradually; the emotional trauma develops over a considerable period of time and the IBS digestive symptoms last for many years. Acupuncturists may utilize diversified modalities to rectify a spleen or liver disharmony. Although there are several other approaches including Chinese herbs, lifestyle changes, and dietary therapy, acupuncture is usually the most preferred treatment for IBS. It’s effective, safe, and reliable.

Acupuncturists use acupuncture to eliminate dampness and heat in the internal system by choosing certain acupuncture points located on the meridians of the patient’s stomach and large intestine. This improves IBS symptoms. Again, reinforcement techniques focused on strengthening the body’s immune system, whilst reducing approaches can alleviate stress; thereby, preventing possible exacerbation of the illness. Acupuncture is a form of treatment that’s highly individualized, effective, safe, and reliable. Although you may feel some pain where the needles prick your skin, the procedure is completely harmless. The pain, bruising, or bleeding will disappear naturally within a short time.

Some lifestyle changes that can relieve the symptoms associated with IBS include:
  • Regular exercising - significantly relieves stress, reduces constipation, regulates the bowels, and moves energy.
  • Getting enough sleep - is equally useful in improving IBS since emotional stress is usually aggravated by lack of enough sleep. Moreover, sufficient sleep speeds up the healing process and helps the body to rejuvenate.
  • Dietary changes - should also be embraced, and must focus on eliminating foodstuffs that flare-up the symptoms. You should also consider adding more fiber to your diet.
  • Adopting stress relief measures - meditation, breathing exercises, or yoga can keep IBS-related symptoms under control.

Avoiding IBS

IBS patients should maintain healthy eating habits, refrain from eating heavy foods that are highly enriched with fatty content, drink a lot of water, avoid smoking, and adopt a more regular toilet schedule. Exercises can also help reduce stress, an aspect which seems to worsen the disorder.