Our digestive health may not be the most comfortable topic to discuss but there’s a wide range of digestive complaints that most of us are no stranger to. While the occasional digestive upset may be no big deal, it’s when it becomes a frequent pattern that raises a cause for concern. Let’s be honest, no one wants to have any type of unplanned digestive upset on a regular basis. So here’s how acupuncture can play a role in your overall digestive health:
What digestive conditions can acupuncture help?
Acupuncture can help manage the symptoms of a number of different digestive conditions:
- Crohn’s Disease
- Ulcerative Colitis
- Celiac’s Disease
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
What symptoms can acupuncture help?
- Bloating
- Digestive pain/cramping/discomfort
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Irregular bowel movements
- Nausea/vomitting
- Indigestion
How can acupuncture improve digestive health?
Acupuncture works by improving the overall function of the digestive organs. Starting with a full intake of how all systems in your body are performing, your acupuncturist will look for other factors that are impacting your digestive health. This can be sleep patterns, hormone imbalances, underlying anxiety and most importantly stress factors. Once there is a bigger picture of the system as a whole, a treatment plan is designed to re-balance any other factors that are also playing a role. Typically treatments will need to happen twice a week for about 3-4 weeks to make the shift in symptoms. Symptoms begin to improve by addressing the root cause of your digestive health. Many patients continue to have little ongoing digestive complaints once finishing a course of treatments.
Interesting studies on acupuncture and digestive health:
It’s also been suggested [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4507100/] that acupuncture can help with “leaky gut syndrome,” i.e., strengthening the mucosal barrier of the digestive tract.
In a 2007 systematic review [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4146776/] in the World Journal of Gastroenterology, it was found that acupuncture improved quality of life for IBS, Crohn’s and Ulcerative colitis patients in each study they reviewed.
If you’re struggling with digestive issues, acupuncture may be able to help!
If you’re ready to try acupuncture to manage your digestive symptoms, click here to learn more and schedule online.