Stomach Pain : What does it mean?

We've all had stomach pain at one time or another in our lives from the flu, to food poisoning to menstrual cramps in women. Most people don't think immediately of visiting their Acupuncturist when they or their child suffers from stomach pain, but they should.

Acupuncture is effective in alleviating mild, moderate and even severe pain. We can address dull achy pain, chronic pain, colic pain, lower abdominal pain and menstrual pain.  Furthermore, as master herbalists, we can address all types of abdominal pain from IBS irritable bowel syndrome, colitis, endometriosis, constipation, to allergies.

In fact, when a patient, young or older comes in with a chief complaint of stomach pain we differentiate between dozens of different medical conditions that relate to an imbalance in the body.

Here are numerous causes of stomach pain that we are able to differentiate, treat and resolve in our patients using acupuncture (a pediatric tickle machine for the infants and young children) , herbal medicine and dietary alterations:

Lower Abdominal Pain Due to Menstrual Cramps
OR Abdominal Pain
...due to endometriosis
...due to fibroids
...due to cysts
...due to pelvic inflammatory disease
...due to intestinal spasms and cramps
...due to gallstones
...due to food poisoning
...due to travelers diarrhea or discomfort
...due to infection
...due to constipation even as severe as fecal compaction
...due to IBS irritable bowel syndrome
...due to UC ulcerative colitis
...due to Crohn's Disease
...in addition to acid regurgitation, belching
...in addition to dull pain, fatigue, diarrhea
...in addition due to kidney stones
...in addition with severe abdominal pain or blood stasis
...in addition to hypochondriac pain, fidgeting, restlessness and irritability

We are able to eradicate inflammation, mucus, blood, cramping and severe pain. 
 So the next time you know of someone suffering from abdominal pain, they not only should see their MD to rule out life threatening problems but immediately should also be seen by their acupuncturist and master herbalist for soothing relief and complete healing.  Patients can also have scans, biopsies and further lab work done to see how complete and effective our treatments are for abdominal pain.  We treat patients all throughout the country with herbal consultations available throughout the U.S..

Painful Solutions

Being an Acupuncturist, Herbalist and a personal pain sufferer I know how to cope with the extremes of menstrual pain, arthritic pain and internal pain from cancer.




For cold cramps during your period rub clove oil on your abdomen and the soles of your feet. This warms and alleviates pain concurrently making you a happy woman.



For damp arthritic pain where you can sense when it's going to rain eat rice and avoid alcohol, dairy and sugar. The "dampness" in your joints causing inflammation and pain is triggered by the dampness of the rain in the atmosphere. These tips will limit your damp feeling and pain.



For internal pain from migraines, irritable bowel or cancer your best guarantee is to go to an experienced acupuncturist. Often we can take your pain levels from an excruciating level of 10 to none by the time you walk out of the office and it has 2,000 years of medical proof to back it.



www.AmericanAcu.com Kristen N. Burris, L.Ac., M.S.T.O.M. is a nationally recognized Acupuncturist and Herbalist who has been featured in Parenting Magazine, Natural Health Magazine, National Public Radio (NPR), KUSI TV News and most recently won “Top Docs Award 2010”. Ms. Burris' expertise includes: women’s health, fertility, pregnancy, difficult menstrual cycles, menopausal symptoms, digestive problems, and pain. Ms. Burris has also taught acupuncture to graduate students at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine. She and her husband Tony Burris, L.Ac., M.S.T.O.M treat patients with acupuncture, herbal medicine and nutrition as natural medicine in their family-owned, private practice, American Acupuncture Center in Eagle, Idaho. Ms. Burris has treated patients at Top Fertility Centers Nationwide, San Diego Hospice, University of California in San Diego (UCSD) Integrative Clinic, and for UCSD Dental Study. Kristen has served on the board of Resolve, the non-profit organization that supports couples with infertility. Ms. Burris also developed comprehensive fertility retreats to enhance fertility in women and men where 75% of participants successfully got pregnant and gave birth.

Irritable Bowel: Explosive Results with Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine

The good news is: You have viable options that improve your quality of life and restore proper function of your digestive system in it's entirety. An increasing number of studies have been conducted on treating Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) with Traditional Chinese medicine including Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine, with promising results. These studies prove that Acupuncture and Herbal medicine can effectively treat IBS safely and with drug-free medicine.


What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome?

Not every person presents with identical symptomology but each patient must present with at least three aggravating symptoms listed below. Irritable bowel syndrome is described from a western medical perspective as spastic colon or mucus colitis affecting irregular bowel movement 25% of the time. Symptoms vary for each individual who is affected by this devastating syndrome. It is a motility disorder (involving abnormal movement) of the small and large intestines often accompanied by pain, mucus and blood.

Symptoms of IBS include:

Constipation

Diarrhea

Abdominal Cramping

Abdominal Pain

Gas

Bloating

Nausea

Straining or Urgency

Feeling of Incomplete Evacuation

Mucus and or Blood with Bowel Movement

Altered Stool Frequency

Altered Stool Formation (Hard or Soft)
Stress always exacerbates the symptoms and often triggers an episode. A significant number of women are affected more often by IBS than men and it's estimated that 10-20 percent of all Americans are affected by symptoms of IBS. Very few know their options using Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine and all patients are amazed at how quickly they heal. 
IBS in Traditional Chinese Medicine Terms:

In Chinese Medical terms we refer to organ systems we are familiar with from western bio-medical sciences. However, when we see patterns affecting these organs we do not need for patients to see doctors about the imabalances. If we are concerned about your liver or large instestine or any other organ we wil refer you to your doctor immediately. Irritable Bowel is most effectively treated with Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine and Dietary Changes. IBS is frequently diagnosed as a disharmony between the liver and the spleen. The liver is responsible for the smooth flow of energy, motility and blood throughout the body. This flow can be disrupted by emotions or stress, causing stagnation causing colicy pain in the abdominal area.
Traditional Chinese medicine perceives the spleen as having a more complex function in the body than that of a western bio-medical perspective. The spleen is responsible for proper digestion and transforming food into energy. It is also responsible for holding things appropriately including emotions (particularly worry), bowels and blood. As we see in the patient with IBS they tend to worry or stress, they often cannot hold their bowels and get diarrhea which is often laced with blood.
How Does One Get IBS?

The spleen can be weakened by a number of factors including:

Worrying

Bleeding Excessively

Genetic Inheritance

Overeating

Lack of Exercise

Chronic Fatigue

Over-working

Over Thinking or Obsessing
When the spleen is weaken by the above culprits and the liver is stressed, the liver overacts on the spleen manifesting as symptoms of IBS wreaking havoc on the unsuspecting person.
A liver and spleen disharmony is reflected by the short-term loss of appetite and/or a bout of constipation or diarrhea that occurs during an emotional upset. In patients with IBS the disharmony occurs over time. The emotional traumas take place over a long period of time weakening the Spleen, aggravating the Liver thus negatively affecting the digestive system creating chronic symptoms of IBS for years, even decades.



What To Do If I Suspect I Have IBS?


1. Get Acupuncture & A Personalized Herbal Prescription to:

Strengthen the Spleen

Smooth the Liver

Calm the Large & Small Intestines

Arrest Diarrhea

Move Constipation

Alleviate Stress

2. Take Tai Chi or Meditation Class to Reduce Stres and Increase Exercise

3. Nutritional Consult from An Herbalist to Eliminate Triggers like: Fried Foods, Alchohol and Chocolate

4. Take a Pharmaceutical Grade Pro-Biotic from Metagenics for Irritable Bowel

5. Increase Time Doing Things That Relax You:
Intercourse, Exercise, Dates, Tea with a Friend, Reading, Massages

Acupuncturists and Herbalists use a variety of modalities to treat a liver and spleen disharmony. We always use acupuncture, prescribe indivdualized Chinese herbal formula, with dietary and lifestyle changes to facilitate healing.




Irritable Bowel is very easily treated with Acupuncture and Herbal medicine. Infants, children and adults benefit from treatment that is safe, natural and effective.  Even though IBS itself is not life-threatening, inflammation of the bowels can lead to serious, life-threatening conditions that often need surgeries to remove parts or all of your colon. Stop the suffering and inflammation now before it's too late.