Good digestion is the foundation of great health. Without proper digestion, nutrients aren't absorbed by the body. When examining a person for the first time, we want to take into account how their digestive system is functioning. Every channel enters into the abdomen to connect with the organ. If the digestive system is off, the whole system is offline and difficult to regulate. In our Upper East Side acupuncture clinic, I have seen cases of chronic digestive issues such as diarrhea in conjunction with pain. In these cases, I find that unless digestion is fixed, the pain has a strong tendency to return. In Chinese medicine digestion is under the influence of the pancreas/spleen channel. The pancreas/spleen has a relationship with the muscles by providing nourishment to them. Thankfully, acupuncture regulates peristaltic activity and is helpful when the system runs either too fast or too slow. If the system runs too slow, constipation is the result, too fast results in diarrhea.
Diarrhea can be caused by dysfunction of multiple channels within the body. The main channels involved with digestion in Chinese medical theory include the pancreas/spleen, stomach, large intestine, and small intestine. Other channels that may be of interest include both the kidney and liver channels as well. Treating diarrhea may involve treating one or multiple channel systems. In Chinese medicine diarrhea is often classified as a cold condition. When cold causes the illness the text mention retaining the needle for longer periods of time. In addition, we may choose to employ the moxibustion technique. Moxibustion is a warm herb that can help with cramping and pain in the abdomen.
I have seen many cases resolve using acupuncture and moxibustion solely to treat diarrhea. In some people diarrhea can be so severe, a person spends hours on the toilet and will have to void multiple times daily. When I say multiple it can range anywhere from 8-20 times daily. These episodes can be accompanied by abdominal bloating, cramping, and pain in the lower abdomen. Often times, if pain is occurring in the lower abdomen, the pancreas may be involved. There are multiple regions along the inner foot and shin which may show stagnation and need treatment. However, other channels may be involved as well such as the stomach and large intestine channels. Both the stomach and large intestine channels are usually treated together since they are considered one channel in the body, so treating them simultaneously is most effective. The stomach and large intestine channels play a role in the body by absorbing fluids in the body. In this way, both of these channels are responsible for maintaining dryness. Diarrhea is a condition where fluid is not being properly absorbed and both of these channels may be responsible.
In Chinese herbal theory, when a person wakes up with diarrhea, it falls under the influence of the kidney channel. The 3 main organs responsible for fluid movement is the lung, pancreas, and kidney. Usually in this case the warming function of the kidney is impaired, which allows water to become abundant resulting in diarrhea. Both acupuncture and herbal therapy can be very effective for this type of diarrhea. When the liver is responsible for diarrhea it is usually as a result of stress or anger. Often times a person will remark that whenever they get stressed or angry, their digestion is thrown off. Although a person may not notice a direct correlation betweens stress levels and digestion, it is a well known fact that digestion is a process that occurs when the body is in a relaxed state. In NYC we are generally a stressed culture with many deadlines to meet and too many activities to do. Acupuncture can help ease our stress and get our digestive systems back on the right track.