Acupuncture an Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) describes a collection of symptoms. Commonly including chronic abdominal pain, bloating, flatulence and altered bowel habits. It is a functional disorder of the intestines, occurring in the absence of visible structural abnormality.

IBS affects up to 22% of people in the UK and is the most common functional digestive disorder seen by GPs. Women are 2-3 times more likely to develop IBS, and often suffer more symptoms during their periods. The condition often begins in adolescence or early adulthood. Predisposing factors may include a low-fibre diet, emotional stress, use of laxatives or a bout of infectious diarrhoea. It is typically a chronic, recurrent disorder, associated with substantial health, social and economic costs. Pain and impairment from IBS can lead to frequent doctor visits, hospitalizations and workplace absenteeism, and can cause depression.

The cause of IBS is unclear, but it appears that sensory nerves in the bowel are hypersensitive in people with IBS and may overreact when the bowel wall stretches. Intestinal muscles can be hypo- or hyperactive, causing pain, cramping, flatulence, sudden bouts of diarrhea, and/or constipation. The symptoms are usually triggered by stress or eating. Systematic reviews of the research literature suggest that conventional medications are of limited benefit in IBS (Akehurst et al, 2001).

How acupuncture may help

Research has shown that acupuncture treatment may benefit IBS symptoms by:

• Providing pain relief (Pomeranz, 1987).

• Regulating the motility of the digestive tract (Chen et al, 2008).

• Raising the sensory threshold of the gut (Xing et al, 2004). A lowered threshold to bowel pain and distention are hallmarks of IBS.

• Increasing parasympathetic tone (Schneider et al, 2007). Stress activates the sympathetic nervous system, which can stimulate colon spasms, resulting in abdominal discomfort. In people with IBS, the colon can be oversensitive to the smallest amount of conflict or stress. Acupuncture activates the opposing parasympathetic nervous system, which initiates the relaxation or ‘rest and digest’ response.

• Reducing anxiety and depression (Samuels et al, 2008). The distress provoked by IBS symptoms can lead to a vicious cycle of anxiety-pain-anxiety, while the embarrassing nature of the condition can lead to feelings of depression. Acupuncture can alter the brain’s mood chemistry, increases production of serotonin (Han et al, 1986) and endorphins (Han, 2004), helping to combat these negative affective states.