Digestive complaints

Digestion symptoms can be expressed in many different ways. Some people mainly suffer from abdominal pain, bloating or changes in stool, while others have stomach pain, reflux, nausea or decreased appetite.

The symptoms can occur temporarily, for example after an infection or change in diet, but also remain present for a long time or regularly. Sometimes a condition is diagnosed, such as irritable bowel syndrome (PDS), reflux disease or inflammatory bowel disease. However, it also happens that someone has prolonged stomach or bowel problems without any obvious medical cause being found.

Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can be used in various digestive complaints. The treatment is tailored to your specific symptoms, possible causes and the underlying TCM pattern.

Common digestive problems

For many digestive problems you will find on this website a separate page. There you can read more about possible causes, treatment with acupuncture and Chinese herbs and the vision from Chinese medicine.

Other symptoms that may occur with indigestion include flatulence, many belching, a changing bowel movement, mucus at the stool, fast filling and a heavy or tired feeling after eating.

Western disorders

Digestion symptoms can occur in a variety of conditions. Sometimes there is evidence of abnormalities or inflammation. In functional gastrointestinal complaints, clear symptoms may be present without structural abnormalities being detected.

Examples of disorders where digestive problems may occur include:

irritable bowel syndrome (PDS);
gastrooesophageal reflux disease (GERD);
functional dyspepsia;
gastritis;
inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis;
coeliac disease;
food intolerances, such as lactose intolerance;
gastrointestinal infections.

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

Possible causes

Digestion symptoms can have various causes. Nutrition, food intolerances, infections, inflammation and certain medicines can affect stomach and intestines, for example. Changes in the movement or sensitivity of the gastrointestinal system may also cause complaints.

In addition, eating habits can play a role, such as irregular, hasty or over-eating. Stress and emotional tension can also influence the functioning of stomach and intestines and strengthen existing symptoms.

Many factors play a role at the same time. Therefore, during a consultation not only the main complaint, but also nutrition, appetite, bowel movements, lifestyle and other complaints.

How can acupuncture help with digestive complaints?

Acupuncture treatment is tailored to your specific symptoms and the underlying TCM pattern. As a result, someone with constipation can receive a different treatment than someone with diarrhoea, reflux or stomach pain.

Depending on your complaints, acupuncture can focus on:

supporting the functioning of stomach and intestines
abdominal pain and intestinal cramps decreased
reduce bloating and flatulence
reduce nausea and stomach discomfort
Supporting regular bowel movements
reduce the impact of stress and tension on digestion

These are important for each complaint. On the individual complaint pages you can read more about how acupuncture can be applied to specific complaints.

How can Chinese herbal medicine help with digestive complaints?

Chinese herbs are also personalized. For example, there is no standard herbal treatment in Chinese medicine for poor digestion. The specific complaints and the underlying TCM pattern are considered.

Depending on the grievance picture, Chinese herbal medicine can focus on:

Supporting digestion
reduce a bloated or full feeling
regulating bowel movements
reduce nausea and stomach discomfort
support the processing of food and moisture
treat long-term or recurrent digestive problems

Chinese herbs can be used daily between the treatments. The composition can be adjusted during the treatment course when the symptoms change.

How does Chinese medicine view digestive complaints?

Within Chinese medicine, the Spleen and Stomach are especially important for digestion. These are TCM organ systems: wider functional systems than only anatomical organs with the same name. The Stomach is connected to the reception and processing of food. The Spleen plays an important role in further processing nutrition and moisture.

The Liver can also be involved. Within TCM, the Liver is connected to a free movement of Qi. When stress or emotional tension disturbs this movement, it can affect digestion.

In addition, concepts such as Dampness, Heat and Cold are used to distinguish different complaints from each other. For example, Dampness can be associated with a heavy and bloated feeling, while Heat can be associated with burning symptoms or thirst.

What is a TCM organ system?

A TCM organ system describes a group of related body functions and is wider than just the anatomical organ with the same name. Read more about this at TCM basics .

What is a TCM pattern?

A TCM pattern is a recognizable combination of complaints and physical characteristics that indicates which imbalance is likely to contribute to the complaints. Read more about this at TCM basics .

Below are only some general examples of TCM patterns in digestive complaints. What patterns are relevant varies greatly per complaint. On the individual complaint pages you will find more detailed information about this.

Other patterns are possible and multiple patterns can occur at the same time. This allows you to recognize yourself in different descriptions. Also, someone with a certain pattern does not have to have all the symptoms mentioned. The pattern is determined on the basis of the overall picture of complaints.

Examples of TCM patterns for digestive problems

Spleen-Qi-deficiency

With Spleen-Qi deficiency, the processing of food and moisture according to TCM has been weakened. This mainly causes complaints after eating and can reduce general energy.

Common symptoms: feeling bloated after eating, tiredness, low appetite, soft or stiff stools and feeling heavy or weak.

Examples of Western disorders: PDS, functional bowel symptoms and chronic or recurrent diarrhoea.

Liver-Qi-stagnation

With Liver-Qi stagnation, the movement of Qi according to TCM is less flexible. This pattern is especially relevant when stress or emotional tension clearly affects the stomach or intestines.

Common symptoms: abdominal pain or intestinal cramps, varying bloating, belching or flatulence, varying bowel movements and symptoms that increase during periods of stress.

Examples of Western disorders: PDS, functional dyspepsia and stress-related gastrointestinal problems.

Dampness

Dampness occurs according to TCM when nutrition and moisture are not properly processed and distributed. This allows the digestion and movement in stomach and intestines to feel slower or heavier.

Common symptoms: bloated or full of feeling, nausea, low appetite, sticky or heavy stools, tiredness and feeling heavy in the body.

Examples of Western disorders: PDS, functional dyspepsia and long-term functional digestive symptoms.

Heat

At Heat, warm, burning or dry symptoms are at the forefront. Depending on the location and other symptoms, for example, you can talk about Stomach-Heat or Dampness-Heat in the Intestines.

Common symptoms: burning stomach or intestinal discomfort, thirst, acid regurgitation, dry or hard stools or strong smelling diarrhoea and sometimes a burning sensation around the anus.

Examples of Western disorders: reflux symptoms, gastritis and various acute or inflammatory gastrointestinal problems.

These patterns are only intended as general examples. In reflux, very different patterns may be central to diarrhoea, constipation, stomach pain or an anorectal complaint. Therefore, the relevant patterns on each specific complaint page are discussed separately.

A personal treatment

Which treatment is appropriate depends on the specific digestive complaint, possible medical causes and the underlying TCM pattern. Abdominal pain, reflux, diarrhoea and constipation may all require a different approach.

The course of treatment varies from one complaint to another. Acute problems may require a different trajectory than stomach or bowel complaints that have been present for months or years. Therefore, on the individual complaint pages you can read more about the treatment, relevant TCM patterns and the expected course of treatment in that particular complaint.

Contact

Do you suffer from digestive problems and want to know if acupuncture or Chinese herbal medicine can fit your symptoms? During a first consultation we will discuss your complaints, digestion, bowel movements, nutrition and other relevant symptoms. Based on the overall picture of complaints, we will look at what treatment suits your situation.