Have you ever thought of massage or acupuncture as a treatment for your IBS? We’ll spend this time together diving into what VAMT has to offer you. You may be surprised!
The gut and the brain. Connected?
IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) can be tough to treat. Perhaps you’ve tried every medication out there or had surgery to try and resolve your symptoms. Feeling lost and confused, you’ve landed here. Well, we are ecstatic you did and are happy to have you!
There’s lots of talk recently about gut/brain interaction. Some people are even calling our lower belly our “second brain”. I’m sure you’ve heard of the phrase “being sick to your stomach”? This phrase comes from the fact that when you are unhappy emotionally, chances are, your gut is unhappy too. Stress poo, anyone?
Harvard Health explains it wonderfully:
“The gut-brain connection is no joke; it can link anxiety to stomach problems and vice versa. Have you ever had a “gut-wrenching” experience? Do certain situations make you “feel nauseous”? Have you ever felt “butterflies” in your stomach? We use these expressions for a reason. The gastrointestinal tract is sensitive to emotion. Anger, anxiety, sadness, elation — all of these feelings (and others) can trigger symptoms in the gut”. Check out this article in full, here > The gut-bran connection.
Also, ever heard of the enteric nervous system? You may have heard of the sympathetic (fight, flight or freeze) and parasympathetic (rest, digest and repair) …but there is a third…and it’s all about gut/brain communication. Check out this article for more > NCBI: Gut feelings: the emerging biology of gut–brain communication.
How VAMT can help
We focus on whole-body health at VAMT. We believe you are what you feel. Our practitioners understand stress plays a huge role in the quality of our lives and we work hard at bringing balance back to your nervous system. Below are therapies we offer that can help balance out your system.
Massage
It’s no secret that getting a massage lowers your stress levels. Check out our blog on depression that helps explain the correlation. Also check out this article by the Mayo Clinic: Can massage relieve symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress?
Massage won’t directly treat your IBS. However, it will directly reduce your stress levels and over time, your body is given the opportunity to relax and repair. The more massages you get, the more time spent in rest and digest (parasympathetic mode) which is the mode that allows our gut to function optimally.
Massage can also help relieve tight abdominal muscles. We have all had sore muscles from being sick and coughing a lot, felt nauseous or had cramping. People with IBS tend to have these and other uncomfortable feelings in their gut. Abdominal massage is a wonderful therapy to sooth these symptoms and help relax the muscles and organs in your tummy.
We have several wonderful massage therapists in house, ready to help. Check them out here.
Acupuncture
Another way to lower your stress levels is acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. Simply placing a needle in the body turns on your parasympathetic system and therefor, places you in a relaxed state. Check out this article that dives into the clinical research: NCBI-Acupuncture effect and central autonomic regulation. This is why so many feel super relaxed on the treatment table and even a little drunk after!
Not only does acupuncture have a stress-relieving response- it can also address your IBS directly. Your acupuncturist will ask you a handful of questions and come up with a personalized diagnosis. Once they have a diagnosis, points are chosen just for your body, to help treat your symptoms.
Curious what types of diagnosis are given for IBS? Stay tuned for next weeks blog.
Not into needles? We get it. There are plenty of other ways Chinese medicine can help:
Moxa
Many with IBS experience relief from moxa. This is a form of heat-therapy and can be performed several different ways. We use moxa sticks at VAMT. These sticks are made out of the herb mugwort, which is lit on fire, then extinguished and what is left is a beautiful, smoldering coal. This is hovered over your body and you feel the warmth sink into your skin.
Cupping
Each situation is different, however many patients with IBS have what’s called “stagnation”. This is a word in Chinese medicine that means there’s some thing there that needs to move…it’s become stuck and is causing emotional and/or physical discomfort. Cupping can help move that stagnation. The more purple the marks left after cupping, the more your body needed it.
Herbs
Depending on your specific case, your acupuncturist will work with you to find the formula that will best suit you and your symptoms. You’ll want to make sure to bring a full, up-to-date list of current medications to make sure the herbs prescribed for you don’t interact with what you’re already taking.
Food therapy
Many acupuncturist love food therapy and use it regularly in their practice. We know the food world can be incredibly confusing. However, once you get the hang of it, it becomes quite intuitive. Our acupuncturists at VAMT would be happy to help guide you on your food therapy journey.
Thank you for stopping by this week. We appreciate your interaction and would love to hear from you! Please comment bellow to continue the conversation. If you’d like to schedule an appointment, call us at 651-756-8525.
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.