Have you been diagnosed with IBS or you suspect that you have IBS? Do you experience abdominal pain, excessive bloating and irregular bowel movements? Then this page is for you..
IBS or irritable bowel syndrome can really get in the way of your ability to enjoy life, especially a rich social life with friends and family.
The idea of lunch or dinner on the Gold Coast with colleagues or those you care about, something that can so easily be taken for granted can become a major source of stress with IBS.
Will you be able to eat the food? Will you offend anybody by refusing to eat something they made? Or will you eat what’s available and suffer afterwards?
You may think that you are doomed to live the rest of your life this way, that things can’t improve. But that is not necessarily the case.
In this article, we explore the science backed benefits of acupuncture for those suffering from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) because we want you to enjoy life.
Welcome to the Allied Acupuncture Gold Coast, your trusted source for informative articles on acupuncture, pain relief, chronic pain, stress, digestive issues, injury management and health in our Burleigh Waters, Gold Coast community.
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine having IBS typically means experiencing abdominal discomfort with altered bowel movements.
IBS is likely related to overly sensitive nerves in the intestinal walls or those in the gut that communicate with the brain or even how the brain processes that information.
Women make up 2/3 of those with IBS, which can affect up to 15% of the population in Western countries.
Symptoms usually begin before the age of 40 but can even begin during childhood or in the teenage years.
Whilst the issue commonly runs in families, it can also develop after severe intestinal infections.
Different to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), IBS has 4 main types:
Not sure if you might have IBD instead of IBS? Click HERE to learn the red flags that indicate IBD over IBS.
Abdominal discomfort and changed bowel habits can be felt in a variety of ways. Discomfort can feel like sharp pain, cramping, bloating, distention, burning or fullness.
Pain can be triggered by eating certain foods, after any meal, emotional stress, diarrhoea or constipation.
Other symptoms can include urgency to have a bowel motions, a feeling of incomplete bowel motions and even mucus in the stool.
Some additional symptoms can include migraines, disturbed sleep, anxiety or depression, chronic pelvic pain and fibromyalgia. Many of these symptoms can be treated with acupuncture, so talk to your acupuncturist about them.
While some people can live their lives relatively normally, for others, IBS can prevent them from going to work and doing other everyday activities. That’s why improving IBS symptoms is something we care about, we want people to enjoy their lives.
Acupuncture has gained recognition as a promising treatment option for those coping with the challenges of IBS.
In 2018, research conducted by Zhu et al. demonstrated the ability of acupuncture to reduce IBS symptoms. By targeting specific acupoints, acupuncture helps regulate the digestive system, alleviating abdominal pain, bloating, and irregular bowel movements commonly associated with IBS. The study highlighted the positive impact of acupuncture specifically on improving bowel habits, reducing pain intensity, and enhancing overall quality of life for those with IBS.
Managing Stress and Promoting Digestive Health:
Many IBS sufferers state that stress plays a significant role in triggering and exacerbating IBS symptoms, which is supported by research into the condition.
This is a self fulfilling prophecy of sorts because IBS often generates stress and worry, specifically around meals, bloating and bowel motions.
Acupuncture offers a holistic approach to managing stress and promoting digestive health.
A study by Zheng et al. (2019) found that acupuncture effectively reduces stress levels in individuals with IBS. By stimulating specific acupoints, acupuncture helps regulate the body’s stress response, promoting relaxation and reducing emotional distress. This can lead to a decrease in IBS symptoms triggered or aggravated by stress.
Additionally, acupuncture supports digestive health by improving the movement of food and waste through the intestinal tract. As well as reducing inflammation.
Restoring Balance to the Body:
Acupuncture works by restoring balance to the body’s energy flow, known as Qi. By inserting fine, sterile needles into acupuncture points, a skilled acupuncturist helps remove energy blockages and promote the smooth flow of Qi throughout the body.
In the context of IBS, acupuncture helps rebalance the digestive system, addressing underlying issues that contribute to IBS symptoms. By promoting optimal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, acupuncture provides women with relief from pain, discomfort, and digestive disturbances associated with IBS.
What this means in a western medical sense is that acupuncture calms the nervous system, taking the body out of fight-or-flight. It also regulates gaseous neurotransmitters like nitric oxide (NO) which has a strong influence on digestion. Additionally acupuncture has been shown to stimulate the body’s own background monitoring system, prompting it to work to restore balance and has even been shown to improve functional processing centers in the brain related to some conditions.
You can find out more about the above ways that acupuncture works by visiting the Evidence Based Acupuncture website.
Personalised Care and Support:
At Allied Acupuncture Gold Coast in Burleigh Waters, Queensland, we understand that every person’s experience with IBS is unique. Our experienced acupuncturist, Dr Baker, provides personalised care and support, tailoring treatment plans to address individual symptoms and concerns.
We combine acupuncture with other traditional Chinese medicine modalities, such as dietary recommendations, herbal formulas and lifestyle adjustments, to offer a comprehensive approach to managing IBS. Our goal is to empower IBS sufferers in our community to regain control of their digestive health, improve IBS symptoms, and enhance their overall well-being.
Acupuncture presents a natural and empowering treatment option for those near Burleigh Waters, Queensland, who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome. Experience the transformative benefits of acupuncture at Allied Acupuncture Gold Coast.
You can reach Allied Acupuncture Gold Coast on 07 5522 1691 or at 7a/2 Executive Dr, Burleigh Waters. We are located near Treetops Shopping Centre and Bunnings and have plenty of off street parking.
Sources:
– Zhu, L., Ma, Y., Ye, Y., & Tian, Y. (2018). Efficacy of acupuncture on IBS: A meta-analysis. Journal of Pain Research, 11, 311-324.
– Zheng, H., Chen, M., Li, Y., Wang, Y., Wei, S., & Zhou, S. (2019). The effect of acupuncture on the quality of life in patients with irritable bowel syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2019.
– Johns Hopkins Medicine https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/irritable-bowel-syndrome-ibs
– Evidence Based Acupuncture www.evidencebasedacupuncture.org
Acupuncture is superior to sham acupuncture and medications (pinaverium bromide, alosetron, eluxadoline, ramosetron, and rifaximin) with fewer side effects according to a network meta analysis of 29 Randomised Controlled Trials: 19 high quality; 10 low quality (1).
Acupuncture was superior to medication but not superior to sham acupuncture (41 RCTS) (2).
The effectiveness of all acupuncture and relative therapies reviewed on treating IBS symptoms appeared to be similar, with moxibustion showing the highest probability of being the best treatment on IBS. (Overview of 8 SRs; 132 RCTs) [Conference abstract] (3).
Allied Acupuncture Gold Coast
7a/2 Executive Drive, Burleigh Waters QLD 4220
0755221691
Allied Acupuncture Gold Coast is located near Treetops Shopping Plaza, 5 minutes from the M1, just off Bermuda Street.
It is your local clinic for Varsity Lakes, Reedy Creek, Bonogin and Burleigh Waters.
Commute to work? Get a treatment on the way home while the traffic dies down.
1. Zhang Y, Li J, Mo G, Liu J, Yang H, Chen X, et al. Acupuncture and Related Therapies for Obesity: A Network Meta-Analysis. Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2018;2018(no pagination).
2. Zheng H, Chen R, Zhao X, Li G, Liang Y, Zhang H, et al. Comparison between the Effects of Acupuncture Relative to Other Controls on Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Meta-Analysis. Pain Research & Management. 2019;2019:1-13.
3. Chung VCH, Wong HLC, Wu XY, Wen GYG, Ho RST, Ching JYL, et al. Acupuncture and related therapies for treating irritable bowel syndrome: Overview of systematic reviews and network meta-analysis. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2017.
We are located near Treetops Shopping Plaza, just off Bermuda Street and 5 minutes from the M1. Commute to work? Get a treatment on the way home while the traffic dies down.
I’m here to help you achieve your health goals so you can start feeling like yourself again.
