L. I. Holistic Health Associates - 399 Deer Park Ave., Suite 1 - Babylon Village, NY 11702 - Phone: 631-539-9733
L. I. Holistic Health Associates - 2001 Marcus Ave., Suite N1 - Lake Success, NY 11042 - Phone: 516-775-3717
L. I. Holistic Health Associates - 999 Central Ave., Suite 100c. - Woodmere, NY 11598 - Phone: 516-295-1201

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Rebalancing the Root of Gastrointestinal Disorders Oriental medicine, as a holistic therapy, views the whole person. When gastrointestinal complaints are the primary concern your acupuncturist will consider all aspects of you and your lifestyle to determine where imbalances may lie. In addition to receiving regular acupuncture treatment you will be educated in changes you can make to improve your GI function. What are Gastrointestinal Disorders Disorders of GI include problems with the mouth, esophagus, stomach, large and small colon, rectum, gallbladder, and liver. Common examples include; canker sores, bleeding gums, glomus, nausea, bloating, GERD or heartburn, indigestion chronic and acute, ulcers of the stomach or colon, colitis, IBS, constipation, diarrhea, flatulence and hemorrhoids.

Diagnosis and Treatment Traditional Chinese Medicine does not recognize Disorders of the GI tract as any one particular syndrome. Instead, it aims to treat the specific symptoms that are unique to each individual using a variety of techniques such as acupuncture, Chinese herbs, bodywork, lifestyle/dietary recommendations and energetic exercises to restore imbalances found in the body. Therefore, if 10 patients are treated with Oriental medicine for indigestion, each of these 10 patients will receive a unique, customized treatment with different acupuncture points, different herbs and different lifestyle and diet recommendations. Your acupuncturist will examine you, take a look at the onset of your condition and learn your signs and symptoms to determine your Chinese diagnosis and choose the appropriate acupuncture points and treatment plan. How Acupuncture Works The physical and emotional symptoms that you are experiencing will help create a clear picture on which your practitioners can create a treatment plan specifically for you. The basic foundation for Oriental medicine is that there is a life energy flowing through the body which is termed Qi (pronounced chee). This energy flows through the body on channels known as meridians that connect all of our major organs. According to Chinese medical theory, illness arises when the cyclical flow of Qi in the meridians becomes unbalanced. Acupuncture is the stimulation of specific points located near or on the surface of the skin which have the ability to alter various biochemical and physiological conditions in order to achieve the desired effect.

The Acupuncture Treatment Acupuncture points to treat the emotional and physical effects of GI imbalance are located all over the body. During the acupuncture treatment, tiny needles will be placed along your legs, arms, shoulders, and perhaps even your little toe!

There seems to be little sensitivity to the insertion of acupuncture needles. They are so thin that several acupuncture needles can go into the middle of a hypodermic needle. Occasionally, there is a brief moment of discomfort as the needle penetrates the skin, but once the needles are in place, most people relax and even fall asleep for the duration of the treatment.

The length, number and frequency of treatments will vary. Typical treatments last from five to 30 minutes, with the patient being treated one or two times a week. Some symptoms are relieved after the first treatment, while more severe or chronic ailments often require multiple treatments. The style of acupuncture that your acupuncturist has been trained in will play a roll in length of treatment, number of points used and frequency of visits.

Applying Acupuncture for Gastrointestinal Disorders Acupuncture (AP) has been used successfully in the treatment of many gastrointestinal conditions including vomiting and diarrhea, chronic diarrhea, and constipation. The NIH '97 Consensus on AP for gastrointestinal conditions found that acupuncture was effective for peptic ulcers, diarrhea, ulcerative colitis, and irritable bowel disease. Acupuncture has been found to regulate gastric secretions, gastric motility, hormone, and neuropeptide release and metabolism. (1) Acupuncture stimulation produced significant reduction of perioperative emetic sequelae. Electro acupuncture reduced morphine-induced emesis in ferrets with five minutes of stimulation at 1.0 Hz. And 5.0 Hz (n=5/group). (2) Research includes 33 controlled trials published worldwide as of 1996 for use of acupuncture for nausea and vomiting, with 27/29 trials showing statistically significant positive results. From a Traditional Chinese Medical (TCM) perspective, acupoint Nei-Guan, is considered the gate to the heart and lungs, calms the heart, and regulates Qi. It can be used to treat vomiting, gastritis, megaesophagus, behavioral problems, anxiety, and epilepsy.

Acupuncture has been found to have analgesic and spasmolytic effects on the GI tract, regulates gastric acidity, has a homeostatic effect in endocrine and metabolic disorders, and has been used to treat gastroenteritis, pancreatitis, impactions, and ileus. It has been found to increase plasma gastrin in rabbits and dogs. It is mediated by b-endorphins and somatostatin. (3)

From a TCM perspective, the master points and tonification points are useful for any deficiency. They have been used for Constipation Syndrome to increase GI-tract motility and secretions. From a TCM perspective, this is considered an interior cold condition in the intestines due to a Qi deficiency or a blood or Yin deficiency. Acupuncture is beneficial for the treatment of diarrhea whether it is due to viral/bacterial gastroenteritis or due to inflammatory bowel disease, lymphocytic or plasmacytic colitis, or pancreatitis. From a TCM perspective, diarrhea may be considered due to damp heat invading the spleen, retention of food, cold-damp invading the spleen, or spleen Qi deficiency or a kidney/spleen deficiency.

Acupuncture may also be beneficial for controlling vomiting associated with esophageal achalasia/ megaesophagus. Achalasia is the failure of the esophagogastric sphincter to relax at swallowing. Electro acupuncture significantly decreased lower esophageal sphincter pressure in humans with achalasia. It causes an increased plasma vasoactive intestinal peptide release. This inhibitory neuropeptide may relax lower esophageal sphincters. In a small study on idiopathic megaesophagus, there was a 70% resolution of regurgitation and increased weight gain using acupuncture with dry needles 10 minutes twice a week for four weeks.

From a TCM perspective, vomiting may be considered an excess with external pathogenic factors of cold or heat or liver invading the stomach, or stomach Fire, or Cold Phlegm from fluids in the stomach or due to a stomach Yin deficiency.

Acupuncture may be beneficial for the treatment of many GI conditions whether one looks at it from a western physiologic perspective or a TCM perspective. It should be integrated into most traditional approaches to vomiting, diarrhea, or constipation.

Diet and Lifestyle Your diet plays a crucial role in the progression of many GI complaints. Your acupuncturist will discuss with you changes that may benefit your particular circumstance.

Stress and lifestyle habits are believed to directly affect the gut. Your acupuncturist will educate you to help your body rebalance and restore the healthy function of the gut.