Colitis is defined as an inflammation of the colon. There are many reasons that can cause this type of condition. They include IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), food poisoning, Crohn’s Disease and other forms of chronic and acute inflammatory disorders. Mucus, gas, diarrhea, blood stools, stomach pain, and stomach bloating are some of the symptoms of colitis.
When a colitis condition becomes worse, Western medical doctors will usually prescribe steroids to temporarily mask the symptoms. Steroids and other colitis medications were merely designed to provide short-term symptomatic relief; they cannot cure colitis. If taken long-term, steroids can lead to serious adverse side effects; if discontinued, however, the symptoms will likely rise up again. A man suffering from Crohn’s disease who had been taking steroids for over three decades had actually experienced a worsening of his condition instead of improving the state of his health. He suffered from a heart attack caused by his constant use of steroids for many years. The man also developed arthritis and osteoporosis caused by the medications. Besides making his situation a lot worse, the steroids also failed to cure his colitis
Colitis Treatment Using Traditional Chinese Medicine
According to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), colitis is the result of the abnormal functioning of the spleen and stomach systems. Treatment for this condition will focus on bettering and normalizing the stomach and spleen pathways of energy. Adopting this strategy can help minimize or even stop the bleeding, diarrhea, and mucus in a natural way. The treatment will also be aimed at strengthening the body’s ability to digest nutrients and in boosting the immune system of the body.
TCM has devised a protocol for the treatment of colitis based on millennia of medical experimentation and practice. Because each patient has its own unique symptoms and constitution, each of them is also given a unique type of treatment. This means then that TCM practitioners and acupuncturists in Saratoga Springs need to have a thorough understanding of the situation of their patients. A lot of factors are taken into consideration before colitis is treated. There are patients who may suffer from diarrhea because of eating fatty foods or because they angered, or stress. There are other patients who suffer from a hot/cold sensation and dry that comes with their painful diarrhea. The tongue and pulse should also be observed in order to see if the underlying problem is a yin or yang type of deficiency. But even if treatment protocols differ from patient to patient, the fundamental unchanging goal of each treatment is to improve the functioning of the stomach and spleen systems.
Medical studies have proven that TCM is actually a powerful treatment for the relief of colitis symptoms. A lot of treatment procedures are used by TCM practitioners to bring about the desired result. One of the most effective of them is acupuncture that more often than not is combined with Chinese herbal medicine and in some cases, moxibustion also. Acupuncture works by activating energy flow in the energy pathways to target the underlying root of the problem. The other modalities, on the other hand, aim at treating the external symptoms.
Medical Cases
1. A 51-year-old male suffering from a serious case of colitis came to my clinic complaining of rectal mucus and bleeding. He also said the he experience bowel movements as many as twenty movements a day. His doctor told him that after his test showed negative for any type of condition, he (the doctor) could not provide with any type of treatment. So he decided to try out acupuncture. I gave him regular acupuncture therapies for a couple of weeks along with a prescription of Chinese herbal brew yin for also two weeks. These herbs were meant to be cooked at home and taken every day. He was also advised not to eat inflammatory foods. After three weeks he did a follow up visit wherein he reported that his symptoms had vanished; he has not returned for any further or follow up treatment ever since.
2. A 54-year old female reported suffering symptoms of rectal mucus and bleeding for eight months that resulted in substantial loss of blood loss every day. I gave her four weeks of acupuncture treatments that led to the total resolution of her condition. In order to bring back the energy balance in her body, acupuncture needles were stuck into specific meridians in various parts of her body.
DISCUSSION
The first case was a case of a person suffering from acute colitis. I diagnosed the patient as suffering from damp-heat that hindered his spleen and stomach systems from functioning efficiently. The spleen and stomach meridians of the patient were blocked.
The second case was a typical chronic colitis condition which resulted because of a deficiency in the stomach and spleen systems. Acupuncture was able to relieve the symptoms even if her colitis was chronic.
The extreme complexity of the human body can make the possibility of it suffering from occasional imbalances imminent, but if the body needs to be health and strong various parts of it need to stay in balance with one another. The aim of TCM is to improve and normalize the function of the internal systems. This Oriental type of healing philosophy treats and targets both the external symptoms and the root cause of the problem. This is the real secret why TCM is extremely effective in treating colitis. In order to attain a complete recovery or get significant results, it’s important that patients need to go for treatment the minute symptoms arise.
It is important to note the role dietary therapy plays in the treatment of colitis. Cooked, bland, and easily digested foods are highly suggested for colitis patients while greasy deep fried foods, spicy foods, raw cold foods, and dairy products (ice cream, cheese, and milk) are to be avoided.
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