Colon inflammation or colitis, for short, can come about due to a number of possible causes. These causes can include acute and chronic inflammation, Crohn’s disease, food poisoning, and irritable bowel syndrome or IBS. Colitis can produce symptoms such as abdominal bloating, abdominal pain, bloody stools, diarrhea, fever, gas, and mucus.

A worsening of your symptoms can mean the use of steroids to provide temporal relief as well as to suppress the symptoms. That being said, steroids, however, are not designed to cure colitis. Treatment involving these drugs needs to be also applied for long periods of time and if they are stopped all of a sudden, the symptoms will come back. If strong corticosteroids are used for long periods of time, severe side effects can be experienced in the body. Chronic use of these drugs can lead to conditions such as osteoporosis, arthritis and even cardiovascular disease. Corticosteroids cannot cure colitis and even causes more new conditions for the colitis patient.

Treating Colitis Using Traditional Chinese Medicine

According to traditional Chinese medicine or TCM, colitis can be the result of a dysfunction of the spleen and stomach systems. The focus of the treatment is to regulate and improve the energy pathways (or meridians) of the spleen and stomach. TCM can greatly alleviate or even entirely cure the bleeding, mucus and diarrhea related to colitis. It also helps boost the immune system of the body and improve the body’s capacity to digest and absorb nutrients.

For the treatment of colitis TCM obeys a procedure that has been used and perfected for millennia. The patient is essentially given a plan of treatment formulated by the TCM practitioner that is precisely designed for the patient and one that specifically addresses his symptoms. To accomplish this, the practitioner needs to properly study the patient’s condition. As mentioned before, colitis can be caused by a number of factors. Individuals may develop diarrhea that comes with a dry mouth or a hot/cold feeling after consuming a meal filled with fatty foods or when stressed or angered. The practitioner will examine the tongue and pulse to see if there is a deficiency of yin or yang. The treatment procedures may not be the same for each colitis patient, nevertheless, the fundamental approach is always the same and that is to regulate the function of the spleen and stomach systems.

A lot of studies have been performed to show the effectiveness of Chinese medicine in treating colitis. A number of therapies are usually integrated to get the best outcomes. They may involve the use acupuncture, herbal remedies and moxibustion, all in one treatment. Acupuncture stimulates the flow of energy as well as improves the function of the organ systems inside the body. Chinese herbal preparations are usually concocted from several different herbs and some of them target the underlying cause of the condition and of course, the manifested symptoms of colitis as well.

Goldfarb Chiropractic and Acupuncture Center
1339 Pleasant Valley Way
West Orange, NJ 07052
Phone: 973-325-8884
www.acupuncturewestorange.com