IBS and acupuncture treatments
When it comes to Traditional Chinese Medicine (known as TCM and what modern acupuncture is based on) we diagnose based on the individual and the specific symptoms, not necessarily the western medical diagnosis. Five people could have stomach pain and loose stools and receive a diagnosis of IBS from their medical doctor. However, the same five people (upon a little more investigation) could each end up with different TCM diagnoses. Crazy, right?
TCM diagnoses
There are several diagnoses for IBS when it comes to TCM. Below you will find four along with a snap-shot of what symptoms or habits go along with each. We’ll start with the IBS-specific symptom.
Keep in mind it’s common to have several diagnoses. Most humans walking around this planet have multiple imbalances. That’s what makes us human! If you see yourself in a few of these, no sweat! You then know you’re human.
Liver qi stagnation
Loose stool/diarrhea brought on by stress | Irritability | Distended and/or bruised feeling in the chest area | Depression | Frequent sighing Nausea/vomiting | PMS | Painful and/or irregular menstruation
Spleen qi deficiency
Loose stool/diarrhea | Irregular eating | Consuming high amounts of raw vegetables | Eating lots of or craving sweets | Low energy | Stomach bloating Low appetite
Kidney yang deficiency
Loose stool | Fatigue | Internal sensation of cold | Lots of clear urine | Low appetite | Edema | Sore back and/or knees | Weak lower limbs | Pale and swollen tongue
Large intestine dryness
Hard, dry stools that are hard to pass | Dry mouth and throat | Dry and pale tongue | Common in elderly and women after childbirth
Visit yinyanghouse.com for more on TCM diagnosis and IBS.
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Until next time!
Rachel, Licensed Acupuncturist at VAMT
Rachel was born and raised in St.Paul, MN, where she currently lives with her husband, Chris and Shih Zhu, Stewie. She graduated from Northwestern Health Sciences in 2017 with her Masters in Chinese Medicine. Rachel found Chinese medicine on a journey to understand and tend to her own anxiety and depression and now has a passion for helping others who experience a similar reality. She enjoys treating a wide variety of conditions and welcomes anyone looking for care.