One of the most effective types of treatments I have done over the past twenty plus years has been the treatment of the range of digestive problems called inflammatory bowel disorders. The range of diagnoses’ that are treated range from colitis, IBD, Crohn’s disease, indigestion, gas, bloating, inflammation, diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever and fatigue.
I have lectured extensively to support groups and what I always emphasis is the effectiveness of this type of treatment. I have had patiens who were unable to leave home for longer than a few hours at a time, who, after treatment had absolutely zero limitations on their travel from home. I have had many patients state that their lives had been totally transformed with holistic treatment.
Most of these patients have been living with these problems for many, many years, and had not realized there were safe, nature, and effective methods for treating their problems. Although many patients respond to traditional Western treatment, some fail to respond to even thee strongest drugs. In addition, there are always risk factors and sometimes side effects from the Western pharmaceutacal drugs, where natural treatments rarely have any side effects.
There are also causal connections between smoking, nicotine, steroidal drugs, and Ulcerative Colits and IBS. Diet has also been shown to play a large role in the causation of IBS. In Chinese medicine, we have our own methods for determining which dietary factos are involved in exacerbating IBS. We use the tongue and pulse diagnosis. According to these methods, we can determine which diet would be the best for that particular person. Common foods which are commonly culprits in IBS and affiliated diseases are the following: ice cream, iced drinks, raw foods, fruits, and other foods which we label as “Yin” or “Damp” in Chinese medicine.
Correcting nutritional deficiencies or excesses is a major portion of the treatment goal as well. By analyzing blood and/or hair analysis studies, we can see where the precipitating factors arise in treating IBS, Crohn’s and colitis. Supplements which are often needed, and are deficient, include Vitamin A and Beta Carotene, DHEA, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Folic Acid, Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, and the essential fatty acids, including omega-3, 6 and 9. Probiotics, such as Lactobacillus, Bifidobacteria and Clostridia are also very helpful, and also quite deficient in people who suffer from IBS problems. Also, we use Glutamine, Phosphatidylcholine and anti-inflammatory supplements such as Quercetin and Rutin.
In summary, the combined use of both Western and natural methods of treating IBS is quite effective. Some people respond better to one then to the other types of treatments, but everyone will do well with some combination of both.