Do you sometimes experience irregular bowel movements, cramps, or a severely bloated stomach after eating? You are definitely not alone. Figures from the Dutch Darmstichting show that 5 to 20 percent of the Dutch population deals with this to some extent. But where do these symptoms come from? And more importantly: how can acupuncture help to calm an irritable bowel?
What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS, formerly known as a spastic colon) is a common condition where your intestines are highly sensitive. Together with your gp, you can rule out other causes and confirm an IBS diagnosis.
The frustrating thing about IBS is that the symptoms are quite unpredictable. The pain can shift in location and intensity. Sometimes your belly is getting big and bloated or you experience excess gas, while other times there might be a painful abdomen and mucus in your stool. The triggers also vary from person to person. Symptoms can suddenly flare up after a flu, during a holiday, or due to a stressful situation at home or at work. Because the intestines react directly to our environment and emotions, Western medical treatment is not always straightforward. However, there are effective, natural ways to significantly reduce these symptoms.
The TCM Perspective on IBS: The Liver and the Spleen
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), we look at the entire digestive system and the direct impact of your emotions on it. In TCM, IBS is seen as a classic imbalance between the Liver and the Spleen.
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Weak Spleen Qi : In TCM, the Spleen is responsible for digesting food and absorbing nutrients. If this energy is weakened you will notice this with digestion problems.Spleen qi deficiency characterizes with fatigue, low energy, excessive overthinking, food being stuck in the stomach, bloating and loose or irregular stool.
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Liver Qi stagnation: The Liver is responsible for a smooth flow of blood and qi throughout your body and reacts extremely strongly to stress, frustration, anger and tension. When you are stressed, the Liver energy stagnates causing pain and cramps.
How Can Acupuncture Help with IBS?
Acupuncture is effective to help with strengthening the spleen and liver.
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Calming the nervous system: Acupuncture takes your body out of the alert ‘fight or flight’ mode and brings it back into the ‘rest and digest’ state. This calms the tension in your stomach and intestines.
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Regulating bowel peristalsis: By stimulating specific acupuncture points on the abdomen and lower legs, we help regulate bowel.
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Relieving cramps: In Chinese medicine, there is an important rule: where energy flows freely, there is no pain. By resolving Liver stagnation, the smooth muscles around the intestines relax. This takes away the sharp cramps and the tight, painful feeling in your stomach.
What Can You Do Yourself? (TCM Nutrition Tips)
Alongside Western advice such as drinking enough water and eating sufficient fiber, Traditional Chinese medicine offers a few very clear lifestyle and nutritional recommendations to support your Spleen:
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Eat warm and cooked foods: Your intestines have to work hard to digest cold salads, iced drinks, and raw smoothies. Choosing for warm meals, light soups, and boiled or stir-fried vegetables instead. This takes less energy from your body.
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Keep a diary: Sometimes keeping a note of your day with an extra focus on foods and symptoms help. You could start with writing down your meals and the status of your abdomen, stomach and stools. I would suggest to try this out for at least 14 days and preferably longer to get a picture of your symptoms and triggers.
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Find out food triggers: Digestion gets triggered by food. Sometimes a sensitivity to certain foods can worsen IBS symptoms. Most common food that trigger IBS are the foods that contain FODMAPs. Talk with your GP in order to discuss your situation.
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Routine: Try to eat meals and snacks at regular times and truly take your time to eat. You will help your stomach and intestines to understand when to be active and when to digest.
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Keep moving: Walking, gentle cycling, or yoga helps tremendously to keep your bowels moving and to release built-up tension in the body.
Do you struggle with your digestion daily and want to see if we can bring your system back into balance with acupuncture? Book an appointment via the button below.
Note: If you suddenly notice blood in your stool, experience unexplained weight loss, or are over 50 and experiencing bowel issues for the first time, please always contact your general practitioner first.
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Acupuncture in Amsterdam East
My clinic is located in the Eastern Docklands (Oostelijk Havengebied), between Java Island and Amsterdam Central Station.
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Public Transport: The bus and tram 26 stop just a 5-minute walk from the clinic.
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Car: You can easily park in the nearby parking garages De Loodsen or Withoedenveem.
Hope to see you soon at the clinic!
:) Kim