| Irritable
Bowel Syndrome in Eastern Medicine Theory is a disharmony between the Liver (Gan) and Spleen
(Pi) Symptoms
IBS can be aggravated or brought on by the following
examples:
 | Worse during stress |
| Worse after eating particular things |
| Alternating diarrhea and constipation |
| Worse during emotional turmoil |
| Loose stools or hard pebble-like stools |
Acupuncture is a good treatment choice since irritable bowel syndrome is a functional problem rather than a structural problem.
IBS is known as 'Liver invading the Spleen ' in Chinese medicine. The function of the
liver is to ensure the smooth circulation of Qi around the body.
By doing this it aids all the other vital organs. When the
liver is out of balance it can upset other organs, and in this case the
spleen, (i.e. the digestive system). The liver is particularly affected by stress, anger, bitterness, frustration, resentment, and lack of exercise.
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Acupuncture is a good treatment choice since irritable bowel syndrome is a functional problem rather than a structural problem.
| Food for thought... Is your body
toxic? |
Junk
food consumption has increased
drastically in the last few decades. Compared to 1981, in 2001
the average American consumed in one year: 45
large bags of potato chips - up 78%; 120
orders of French fries - up 130%; 190
candy bars - up 80%; 120
pastries or desserts - up 95%; 150
slices of pizza - up 143%
What
long-term effects may we expect from such progressive dietary
degeneration? A new movie called Super Size Me
documents precisely what physical and psychological changes
take place when one consumes too much junk food. Last
February, filmmaker Morgan Spurlock decided to become a human
guinea pig by eating three meals a day for 30 days at
McDonald’s. The film centers around the impact this had on
his health and life. As reported by the New York Post
on January 22, 2004.:
 |
“Scores
of cheeseburgers, hundreds of fries and dozens of
chocolate shakes later, the formerly strapping
6-foot-2 New Yorker - who started out at a healthy 185
pounds - had packed on 25 pounds. But his supersized
shape was the least of his problems. Within a few days
of beginning his drive-through diet, Spurlock, 33, was
vomiting out the window of his car, and doctors who
examined him were shocked at how rapidly Spurlock's
entire body deteriorated.
|
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Junk
foods and soft drinks contain dangerous additives and chemicals,
and many are laced with "excitotoxins“ found in such
ingredients as monosodium glutamate [MSG], aspartame (NutraSweet®),
cysteine, hydrolyzed protein, and aspartic acid.
Excitotoxins are substances added to foods and beverages that
literally stimulate neurons to death, causing brain damage of
varying degrees.
Why are some people affected and not others?
If the digestive system (spleen in Chinese medicine) is strong, then
it is still able to function adequately even though the liver maybe out of balance. In other words, for IBS to occur there needs to be an imbalance in both the
liver and the spleen (digestive system). Thus, to treat IBS it is important to smooth the flow of the
liver's energy and to strengthen the digestive process. Along with acupuncture, this will involve eating food that is easier for the body to digest.
IBS is often successfully treated with a combination of
acupuncture as well as dietary and lifestyle changes.
For a private consultation, please
contact us at 704.968.0351
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