Does Acupuncture Help with Digestive Issues?
Your gastrointestinal system digests the food you eat, converts it to fuel for your body, and eliminates waste. Normally, digestion is trouble-free. However, an issue at some point during the process may trigger heartburn, diarrhea, constipation or other digestive issues. Acupuncture can help regulate your gastrointestinal system and relieve digestive symptoms.
6 Gut Health Benefits of Acupuncture
Pain relief is probably the most well-known advantage of acupuncture treatment, but it's certainly not the only benefit. If you have digestive issues, acupuncture treatments can:
- Regulate Digestion Speed. Problems with motility, the speed at which food passes through your digestive system, can cause unpleasant symptoms. If food passes too quickly, diarrhea can occur. Constipation can be a symptom of slow motility. Acupuncture regulates digestion speed, helping you avoid these symptoms.
- Decrease Inflammation. Inflammation plays a role in many digestive disorders, including gastritis, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Acupuncture regulates the body's inflammatory response, which helps lower inflammation, calm the digestive tract, reduce pain, and promote healing. Acupuncture treatments can relieve cramping and bloating and may make it less likely that you'll need to make an emergency dash to the bathroom.
- Improve Nervous System Function. Your body's parasympathetic nervous system, part of the autonomic nervous system, controls digestion. Acupuncture treatments stimulate the vagus nerve, the connection between the brainstem and gut. Activating the vagus nerve helps regulate the entire digestive process, from the first bite to waste elimination. Acupuncture improves blood flow to the digestive organs, which improves motility and makes it easier for stomach enzymes to break down food.
- Relieve Digestive Discomfort. Acupuncture naturally relieves pain caused by digestive disorders. During treatments, your acupuncturist places thin needles at specific acupoints related to digestion. Treatments break up blockages of Qi, a life force vital for good health. Eliminating blockages keeps the body's systems properly balanced, easing digestive symptoms. Acupuncture also increases the production of endorphins and serotonin, hormones that ease pain.
- Keep Bowel Movements Regular. Treatments stimulate the digestive tract and improve peristalsis, the muscle movements that push food through the digestive system. If you spend too much or too little time in the bathroom, acupuncture treatments could help regulate your bowel movements. As your digestive system adopts a more regular schedule, diarrhea and constipation may no longer be problems.
- Reduce Stress and Anxiety. Have you noticed your symptoms are worse when you're stressed? The brain and gut share a complex relationship. Stressful situations can trigger diarrhea, indigestion, and heartburn and interfere with the normal function of the digestive system. Acupuncture offers a calming effect that promotes normal functioning.
Does Acupuncture Work?
Acupuncture offers an effective way to control digestive conditions and symptoms, according to several research studies. A systematic review published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology in 2015 noted that acupuncture treatments can improve peristalsis in people with movement problems and slow peristalsis if food passes through the gut too quickly.
Another review published in The Anatomical Record in 2022, discussed the benefits of acupuncture for gastroesophageal reflux diseases (GERD), inflammatory bowel disease, gastroparesis, ileus, and pancreatitis. The review discussed acupuncture's role in reducing inflammation, improving motility, and repairing the gut microbiota. The microbiota consists of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other microorganisms essential for digestion.
A systematic review published in BMC Gastroenterology in 2024 explored the effects of acupuncture on the gut-brain connection. According to the review, acupuncture can improve defecation frequency, reduce abdominal pain and bloating, and decrease anxiety and depression.
Looking for a solution for your digestive issues? Acupuncture can help. Contact our office to schedule an appointment with the acupuncturist.
Sources:
PMC: World Journal of Gastroenterology: Acupuncture and Regulation of Gastrointestinal Function, 7/21/2015
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4507100/
American Association for Anatomy: The Anatomical Record: Acupuncture for Gastrointestinal Diseases, 2/11/2022
https://anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ar.24871
Frontiers in Medicine: Effects of Acupuncture on Gastrointestinal Diseases and Its Underlying Mechanism: A Literature Review of Animal Studies, 6/6/2023
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2023.1167356/full
BMC Gastroenterology: Symptom Effects and Central Mechanism of Acupuncture in Patients with Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders: A Systematic Review Based on fMRI Studies, 1/24/2024
https://bmcgastroenterol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12876-024-03124-y