Gastrointestinal Disorders in Oriental Medicine

The Oriental theory behind digestive disorders involves the Spleen as the key organ.  It is primarily responsible for breaking down food and transporting nutrients throughout the body and then excreting waste materials.  The Spleen and Stomach are Yin/Yang partners, and both can be involved in digestive problems.  The Spleen should be somewhat moist for best functioning, but if it becomes deficient in energy, or chi, it may become overly moist, causing too much Dampness (or Damp Heat) in the body.  The Stomach needs to be on the dry side for best functioning. When Stomach is imbalanced it may easily overheat, causing a painful condition of Stomach Fire.  The Liver may also contribute to digestive distress. 

The four most common patterns involved in gastrointestinal problems are:  Spleen Chi Deficiency (caused by chronic fatigue or chronic illness) Damp Heat Retention (caused by improper diet, environmental factors or infections), Disharmony of Liver and Spleen (caused by emotional disturbance) and Spleen and Kidney Yang Deficiency (caused by chronic illness or aging).  Oriental Medicine treatments to balance these problems will be acupuncture, herbal medicine, and moxabustion.  These modes of treatment balance Yin and Yang, harmonize chi (or energy) and blood, nourish and strengthen the organs, and eliminate Damp Heat.

Problems which acupuncture and herbal medicine are very helpful include:
. Bacterial infections such as e coli, salmonella, shigella
. Intestinal infections such as rotavirus
. Inflammatory diseases such as chronic gastritis, chronic enteritis, gastroenteritis
. Peptic ulcer, duodenal and gastric ulcers
. Intestinal cramps or gastrointestinal bleeding
. Inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease
. Tumors such as stomach cancer, tumors of the small intestine, or colon cancer
. Other conditions such as short bowel syndrome or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

Scientific Explanations
Many modern studies, some in the Orient, some in the U.S., show that acupuncture, herbal medicine, and moxa engenders bio-chemical changes.  For example:

Serum Gastrin, a hormone in the digestive system, is mainly secreted by cells in the stomach when food is eaten.  It causes the stomach to produce more acid and also stimulates contraction of muscles in the wall of the stomach, small and large intestines.  This contraction pushes food through the digestive tract.  One recent study in China found that moxa made with astragalus,  codonopsis,  and some other herbs at acupuncture points St36, Ren 4, and Ren 12 can raise the serum gastrin level.

T-lymphocites and their Subgroups show the immune function status of cells.  Much proof shows Spleen Deficient patients to have lower immune function down to the cellular level.  Clinical studies in the Orient show how acupuncture increases T-lymphocites and their subgroups in the blood.

The Excretory Rate of D-Xylose is an index of the absorption function of the intestines.  Patients with chronic enteritis, chronic gastritis, or peptic ulcer tend to have a lower excretory rate of D-Xylose.  Oriental medicine has been shown to significantly increase the D-Xylose excretory rate .

Immunoglobulins are proteins in the blood serum and tissue fluids that are produced by cells of the immune system.  Often patients with gastrointestinal disorder have lower immune response.  The immunoglobulins help destroy antigen-bearing microorganisms in the blood and tissues.  Research shows that moxa at acupuncture points Ren12, St36 and Ren 8 can increase Immunoglobulins Ig A, Ig G, Ig M, which improves many health conditions such as atrophic gastritis, chronic gastritis, gastroduodenal ulcer, antral gastritis and gastroptosis (the stomach drops lower than normal).