Acupuncture and Digestion

Acupuncture & Chinese herbs are quite effective at restoring proper functioning to the digestive organs. For chronic disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, acid reflux, heartburn, constipation & diarrhea, Oriental medicine can produce lasting results and reduce dependency on expensive drugs. See the digestive studies for more details.

Nausea

Nausea is that queasy uncomfortable feeling in the stomach that can lead to vomiting and generally makes us miserable. If you are suffering from chronic nausea, acupuncture may be able to help you. There are many causes of chronic nausea including morning sickness, migraines, digestive issues, and chemotherapy. For acute nausea you should consult a physician.

Nausea is hard to live with and can make us very uncomfortable. It is our bodyÕs way of telling us something is wrong or a change is happening. During pregnancy, morning sickness is natural and up to 70% of women suffer from nausea during this time. The good news is that acupuncture is very safe, and has a long tradition of helping with these symptoms.

How Acupuncture Can Help
When your stomach is in a knot it is time to come in and see an acupuncturist. Acupuncture is a gentle and safe approach to many chronic digestive symptoms. Your acupuncturist will take your individual constitution into account when determining the right course of treatment. They will select specific points based on traditional concepts and modern research to relieve the nausea. Additional points may be selected to address any anxiety, aid your appetite, decrease pain and help with any other complaints you may have.

Scientific Evidence

Acupuncture and nausea studies.
There have been studies conducted all over the world verifying the efficacy of acupuncture for nausea in pregnancy and during cancer treatment. In Manchester, England a study concluded that acupuncture showed a statistically significant improvement over placebo for post chemotherapeutic nausea1. In Singapore patients were given acupuncture after their first round of chemotherapy and 26 out of 27 patients had significant decrease in nausea and vomiting2. In Morristown, New Jersey a study of 187 women concluded that acupuncture is effective in reducing nausea and vomiting in symptomatic women in the first trimester of pregnancy3. In Adelaide, Australia, researchers conducted a single blind study with 593 women and concluded that acupuncture is an effective treatment for women who experience nausea and dry retching in early pregnancy4. 1 Complement Ther Med. 2007 Mar;15(1):3-12. Epub 2006 Sep 27. 2 J Altern Complement Med. 2006 Dec;12(10):963-9. 3 Obstet Gynecol. 2003 Jul;102(1):129-35. 4 Complement Ther Med. 2002 Jun;10(2):78-83.


Acupuncture and gastric acid studies.
Sodipo JO, Falaiye JM.
The effects of therapeutic acupuncture on gastric acid secretion on pain relief in chronic duodenal ulcer patients were studied. Ten adult Nigerian patients with clinical, endoscopic as well as radiological evidence of duodenal ulcer constituted the "Ulcer Group." Four other patients who gave history of dyspepsia formed the "Dyspeptic Group." Pentagastrin stimulation test was performed on all subjects pre-and post-acupuncture therapy. The classical Chinese acupuncture loci were employed. The mean Basal Acid Output (BAO) in the duodenal ulcer group was markedly reduced from 4.04 +/-1.01 mMols/ hour to 1.05 +/-2.5 mMols/ hour. The mean Maximal Acid Output (MAO) was lowered from 34.72 +/-13.81 mMols/ hour to 15.34 +/-4.01 mMols/ hour. The difference was statistically significant (P less than 0.001). It is more probable, therefore, that the relief of pain is attributable to the therapeutic inhibition of gastric hyperacidity in our patients. Thus, though pain relief has been previously demonstrated in response to acupuncture, the results of this investigation have gone further to show that acupunture achieves symptomatic relief through therapeutic gastric depression in duodenal ulcer patients.


Comparative studies of the effectiveness of brief psychotherapy, acupuncture and papaverin therapy in patients with irritable bowel syndrome by Kunze M; Seidel HJ; Stube G. [Comparative studies of the effectiveness of brief psychotherapy, acupuncture and papaverin therapy in patients with irritable bowel syndrome]. Zeitschrift fur die Gesamte Innere Medizin und Ihre Grenzgebiete, 1990 Oct 15, Pub type: Clinical Trial; Journal Article; Randomized Controlled Trial. (Requested library location( s) not linked. Try F PE .) Abstract: At a comparison among 5 therapy methods the small psychotherapy with a success-rate of 74% is high-significantly more prosperous than the other examined methods. The acupuncture with 31% long-term success is significantly superior to the pseudoacupuncture (17.2%). The papaverine therapy results in a long-lasting status free of symptoms in 17.2% of the patients and is significantly different from the results of the papaverine-placebo-therapy (08). Distinct differences in the success-rates of the small psychotherapy with different therapists prove the role of the personality and the perfection in mastering the methods with psychotherapeutic procedures. Comparable differences between the examiners were not found among the effects of a spasmolytic therapy. 1.

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