Chinese Medicine for Irritable Bowels

A diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (ABS), means that your doctor hasn’t a clue about what is causing your problems. What it does mean, is that tests like colonoscopies, X-Rays, etc. have revealed little or nothing. That's why the 'catch-all' diagnosis of 'Irritable bowel' is useless to practitioners of TCM

TCM and IBS

To Chinese medical herbalists, IBS is a symptom, not a disease, and must first be diagnosed according to the principles and logic of Traditional Chinese Medicine to be treated.  This diagnosis will include both symptom patterns as well as the constitution of the particular patient.

Common diagnoses are Spleen Qi Deficiency, Damp Heat in the Large Intestine, Liver Qi Stagnation, and Liver Invades Spleen.  These patterns can combine and present with similar signs. That's why they are lumped together by Western doctors as IBS. 

These issues are treatable with both herbs and acupuncture. I've found that acupuncture has been most useful for unblocking stagnations and relieving pain, and herbs are essential to restore digestive balance and normalcy.

Some Common OTC Digestive Formulas

Simple Indigestion - Pill Curing

Occasional Constipation - Moisten Intestines Pill

Loose Stool - Liu Jun Zi formula

Low Appetite - Xiang Sha Yang Wei formula

Nausea - Pill Curing

Diarrhea due to Spleen Deficiency - Shen Ling Bai Zhu formula

Information on this site is provided for educational purposes and is not meant to substitute for the advice of your own physician or another medical professional. We make no claim as to efficacy or safety of herbs or herbal medicine appearing on this site. Information and statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.