Acupuncture and the Gut
Acupuncture and the Gut.
As I have stated in past posts, I tend to use my style of Japanese Acupuncture/Moxibustion for the use of internal systems.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine logic, there has long been a connection between the mind and the gut. As the Shen or mind in Chinese Medicine has aspects with every one of the energetic organs.
With particular attention to the gut, the Earth organs of the spleen and stomach usually related to digestion as one of its facets. Interestingly the Earth aspect’s Shen component usually revolves around the actual calculation of the mind. A running joke in Acupuncture school was that most students would have some impact on spleen issues. A typical overuse of this mental component that can be found with checking on medical health history would be the client’s overthinking or rumination at times. Think of the rat on the wheel that keeps spinning. This can be especially troubling when trying to go to bed and wind down.
On the western side of things the science has started to filter in to make physical connections that match the historic practices and philosophies that have been used in Acupuncture. One of these is the Microbiome and its influence on the mind and vice versa.
One study talked of this..
“Alterations in the gut–brain–microbiota axis in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS): Evidence demonstrates that when compared with those from normal controls, many detrimental changes including an increase in inflammatory signaling and neurotransmitters, as well as an imbalance of gut microbiota were found in the colons of IBS subjects. Also, there is evidence to show changes in neurotransmitters and signaling in various nervous tissues, including multiple sites of the brain and spinal cord. These findings support the hypothesis that the gut–brain–microbiota axis is involved in the pathophysiology of IBS”
The study goes off on the variety of different possible mechanisms that can be going on with all the different aspects of an acupuncture treatment to include needling, needles with electrostimulation, and the use of moxibustion( Check out some of my earlier posts on the specific type of direct moxibustion that I use in my treatments.)
If you’re member of the RHS Newsletter I will be breaking down some of these particular mechanisms and how they relate to the treatment that I do in my office.
I for one have been the benefit that moxibustion has had on some clients with digestive distress. Have Acupuncture or Moxibustion helped you with digestive system issues? Post in the comments!