Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a group of intestinal dysfunction diseases characterized by persistent or intermittent episodes, abdominal pain, abdominal distension, and changes in bowel habits, or stool properties. The age of onset is more common in 20 to 60 years old, more women than men, tends to cluster in families and often coexists with other gastrointestinal disorders such as functional dyspepsia. IBS is divided into four types: diarrhea type, constipation type, mixed type, and indeterminate type.
The etiology of IBS is generally believed to be related to various factors such as abnormal gastrointestinal motility, abnormal visceral sensation, intestinal flora imbalance, abnormal brain-gut regulation, inflammation, and mental psychology. The specific pathogenesis of IBS is still unclear in modern medicine.
According to the theory of acupuncture, IBS is caused by the above-mentioned various factors, either singly or synergistically, which lead to the autonomic disorder of the digestive system, thereby causing gastrointestinal dysfunction. Sometimes the symptoms of IBS are simply a gastrointestinal response to an overall problem. For example, some patients have IBS symptoms when they are anxious, and the root cause is anxiety. Acupuncture selects different acupoints according to each individual’s situation, not limited to the stomach and intestines, stimulates meridians and acupoints in a targeted manner, and cooperates with some traditional Chinese medicine when necessary. Adjust gastrointestinal nerves from the body as a whole, restore gastrointestinal function, and treat IBS.
