Acupuncture for Gastro-Intestinal Treatment in Mill Valley

Gastro-intestinal issues are so prevalent in our fast-paced society, and yet, these persistent and life-altering problems are often overlooked or dismissed. As a Chinese medicine clinician for over twenty years, I have repeatedly observed the willingness on the part of the patient to accept that he/she is simply “ stuck with a bad stomach “ and resigned to the grin-and-bear way of coping. Traditional Chinese medicine has a long and illustrious history in treating GI problems with the help of Acupuncture and Chinese herbs, offering a pro-active and holistic treatment strategy.

Seen through the lens of Traditional Chinese Medicine, GI issues are rooted in an imbalance with the middle of your body, namely Spleen and Stomach organ. On a physiological level, these are the organs which regulate digestive function as well as transporting nutrients to nourish various parts of the body. Moreover, on a psycho-emotional level, undigested emotional trauma and grief are often held in your gut, manifesting somatically as depression, eating disorder, and bi-polar disorder. Western medicine doesn’t tend to connect our physical issues to our mental or emotional states. But in Eastern medicine, if your middle is weak and lacks support, this will have far-reaching ill-effects on your health.

3 Common Patterns of Gastro-Intestinal Problems:

1. STOMACH HEAT: In Chinese medicine, this pattern of disharmony is known as “ Chi Reversal “. When functioning optimally, stomach energy/chi is supposed to direct downwards, facilitating the process of digestion, assimilation, and elimination. The ideal state for a healthy stomach is moist and cool. When the energy in the stomach stagnates and produces an overheated condition, it causes the stomach chi to back up and go in the wrong direction, resulting in nausea, vomiting, heartburn, GERD/acid regurgitation, belching, bad breath, and voracious appetite.

2. SPLEEN COLD: Conversely, the spleen prefers a dry and warm environment where its energy moves upward. Note that spleen and stomach have opposite effects to each other, this is how balance or health is achieved according to Chinese medicine Yin-Yang principle, where stomach is the Yin organ, paired with spleen which is the Yang organ. If spleen energy/chi reversal takes place and causes energy to move downwards, it results in a pathogenic intestinal environment leading to mal-nourishment/weight loss, bloating, low energy/chronic fatigue, flatulence, diarrhea, and depression.

3. COMBINATION OF STOMACH HEAT AND SPLEEN COLD: This is known as “ Hot-Cold complex “ resulting in pathogenic “ damp-heat “ which is considered the most insidious and difficult to treat pathogenic factor in Chinese medicine. As the name implies, this pattern is one where hot and cold co-exist simultaneously. Clinically, in terms of signs and symptoms, this presents as:

Chronic Inflammatory Bowel disease including gastric/duodenal ulcer, irritable bowel syndrome, diverticulitis, celiac disease, SIBO/small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn’s disease.

Frequently Asked Questions about Gastro-Intestinal Treatment

Why do I get bloated all the time after a meal?

In Chinese medicine, abdominal distension is caused by weakness of the Spleen and Stomach organ. Spleen and Stomach function is to break down the ingested food and transform the nutrients to insure healthy digestion and provide nourishment to various parts of the body.

But when this function is compromised, food particles stagnate giving rise to the sensation of fullness. Moreover, the slow passage of ingested food begins to cause congestion resulting in gas or flatulence. Acupuncture is very effective in removing food stagnation in order to promote smooth digestive function. Additionally, Chinese herbs can be used to strengthen/tonify Spleen and Stomach chi.

Should I be concerned about GERD/acid reflux?

The short answer is absolutely yes. Acid reflux is an indication that your Stomach chi is not functioning properly. The normal direction of Stomach chi is downward. When acid begins to back up, this is known as Stomach chi reversal. Acupuncture is a great tool for harmonizing the Spleen and Stomach in order to restore digestive balance. When your body is not getting the proper nourishment it needs from the digestion of food, essentially it leads to mal-nourishment; resulting in low energy, tiredness, sallow complexion, and underweight.

In conclusion, the main takeaway is Traditional Chinese Medicine’s ability to make the distinction between symptomology and identifying the underlying cause of the gastro-intestinal problem. This is where Chinese Medicine with its emphasis on differential diagnosis stands out and offers a holistic approach utilizing natural medicine in treating digestive issues.