Digestive complaints

Digestive complaints can present in many different ways. Some people mainly suffer from bloating, abdominal pain or flatulence, while for others heartburn, nausea, constipation or diarrhoea is most prominent. The complaints can arise temporarily, for example after an infection or a change in diet, but can also persist for a long time or return regularly.

Sometimes a condition is diagnosed, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), reflux disease or an inflammatory bowel disease. It also happens, however, that someone has long-standing stomach or bowel complaints without a clear medical cause being found.

Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine are used for various digestive complaints. The treatment is tailored to your complaints, possible causes and personal situation. You can read more about this on the individual complaint pages.

Common digestive complaints

Complaints can arise in different parts of the gastrointestinal tract and differ greatly from person to person. Common complaints are:

The frequency, form and consistency of the stool can also change. Some complaints arise mainly after eating, while others are linked to certain foods, stress or a particular time of day.

On the individual complaint pages you can read in more detail about specific digestive complaints and their possible causes.

Western conditions

Digestive complaints can occur with a wide range of conditions. Sometimes there is a demonstrable abnormality or inflammation, while with functional stomach and bowel complaints the working of the digestive system can be disturbed without a clear structural abnormality. Examples are:

A medical diagnosis can provide important information about the cause and treatment of the complaints. At the same time, two people with the same diagnosis can experience very different symptoms.

Which conditions are relevant differs per complaint. The individual pages on, for example, IBS, reflux, constipation, diarrhoea, abdominal pain and nausea go into this in more detail.

Possible causes

Digestive complaints can have various causes. Diet, food intolerances, infections, inflammation and certain medicines can, for example, affect the stomach and intestines. Changes in bowel movement or in the sensitivity of the gastrointestinal tract can also cause complaints.

Eating habits can play a role as well, such as eating irregularly or in a hurry. Stress and other emotional factors can likewise influence the working of the stomach and intestines and intensify existing complaints.

Several factors often play a role at the same time. That is why a consultation looks not only at the digestive complaint itself, but also at diet, bowel movements, appetite, lifestyle and other complaints that may be related to the digestive picture.

What can acupuncture do for digestive complaints?

The acupuncture treatment is tailored to the specific complaint and your personal situation. For someone with constipation, different treatment principles may be central than for diarrhoea, reflux or abdominal pain.

Depending on the complaint, a treatment can focus on:

Chinese medicine also looks at the underlying TCM pattern. As a result, two people with, for example, IBS or reflux can receive different acupuncture treatments.

Which treatment principles are relevant differs per complaint. On the individual pages you can read in more detail how acupuncture can be applied to specific digestive complaints.

What can Chinese herbal medicine do?

Chinese herbal medicine is regularly used for digestive complaints, sometimes in combination with acupuncture. The herbs are tailored to the specific complaints and the underlying TCM pattern.

Depending on the pattern, a herbal treatment can focus on:

Because herbs are taken daily, they can also support the body in between treatments. The treatment for constipation, for example, can differ greatly from that for diarrhoea or reflux.

On the individual complaint pages you can read in more detail what role Chinese herbal medicine can play with specific digestive complaints.

How does Chinese medicine view digestive complaints?

Western medicine looks among other things at the working of the stomach and intestines, inflammation, infections, food intolerances and other possible causes. Chinese medicine also looks at how the digestion functions and which combination of complaints is present.

Important information is, for example, the appetite, what happens after eating, the location and character of abdominal pain, the presence of bloating and the frequency and consistency of the stool. Complaints such as fatigue, feeling cold, thirst and the influence of stress are also taken into account.

In Chinese medicine the Spleen and Stomach play a central role in particular. These are TCM organ systems and are not the same as the anatomical organs from Western medicine. The Stomach is associated among other things with receiving and processing food. The Spleen plays an important role in the further processing of food and in making nutrients and fluids available and distributing them.

The Liver can be involved as well. This system is associated among other things with the free flow of Qi. When tension or emotions affect this flow, according to Chinese medicine this can also disturb the digestion.

In addition, concepts such as Damp, Heat and Cold are used to distinguish between different digestive pictures. Damp can, for example, go together with a heavy or bloated feeling and sticky stools, while Heat may rather fit with burning complaints, thirst or dry stools.

A recognisable combination of these features and other symptoms is called a TCM pattern. As a result, two people with the same Western diagnosis can nevertheless be treated differently within Chinese medicine.

Only a few common patterns are described below. Other patterns are possible and several patterns can occur at the same time. Not everyone with the same pattern has all of the symptoms mentioned. Which pattern is present is established on the basis of the overall picture of complaints. On the individual complaint pages you can read in more detail which patterns occur with specific stomach and bowel complaints.

Common TCM patterns

Spleen Qi deficiency

In Chinese medicine the Spleen plays a central role in the processing of food and fluids. When this function is weakened, digestion can run less powerfully and complaints can arise mainly after eating.

Common symptoms:

Examples of Western conditions: IBS, functional bowel complaints and chronic or recurring diarrhoea.

Liver Qi stagnation

In Chinese medicine the Liver is associated with the free flow of Qi. When this flow is obstructed, it can affect the working of the Stomach and Spleen. Complaints can therefore change noticeably during periods of stress or emotional tension.

Common symptoms:

Examples of Western conditions: IBS, functional dyspepsia and stress-related stomach and bowel complaints.

Damp

When fluid is insufficiently processed and distributed according to Chinese medicine, Damp can arise. This can slow down digestion and go together with a heavy, full or sticky feeling.

Common symptoms:

Examples of Western conditions: IBS, functional dyspepsia and long-standing functional digestive complaints.

Stomach Heat

When Heat accumulates in the Stomach system, mainly burning and upward-moving stomach complaints can arise. Appetite and bowel movements can change as well.

Common symptoms:

Examples of Western conditions: reflux complaints, gastritis and functional stomach complaints.

Spleen Yang deficiency

When, in addition to the function of the Spleen, the warming capacity is also insufficient, according to Chinese medicine mainly cold and long-standing digestive complaints can arise. This pattern can be seen as a further stage of weakening.

Common symptoms:

Examples of Western conditions: chronic diarrhoea, some forms of IBS and long-standing functional digestive complaints.

These patterns give a general picture of how digestive complaints can be distinguished within Chinese medicine. With reflux, for example, different patterns may be central than with constipation, diarrhoea or IBS. That is why this is described in more detail on the individual complaint pages.

Prognosis

How a course of treatment develops depends on the specific digestive complaint, the cause, the severity, how long the complaints have been present and your personal situation. Acute complaints generally follow a different course than stomach or bowel problems that have been present for months or years.

With severe complaints, a higher treatment frequency may be appropriate at first. Long-standing or recurring complaints generally require more time, and the treatment plan can be adjusted during the course of treatment as the complaints develop.

Because the course differs greatly between, for example, IBS, reflux, constipation and diarrhoea, the individual complaint pages describe in more detail what you can expect from a course of treatment for that specific complaint.

Contact

Do you suffer from digestive complaints and would you like to know whether acupuncture or Chinese herbal medicine can mean something for you? During a first consultation we discuss your complaints, medical history, digestion, bowel movements and any other health complaints in detail. On that basis a treatment plan is drawn up that suits your personal situation. You can book an appointment online right away or get in touch for more information.

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