Diseases of the Digestive System

In Western medicine, conditions such as Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are categorized as diseases of the digestive system. Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) that cause chronic inflammation in the digestive tract. Both diseases are autoimmune disorders in which the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue. Crohn’s disease can affect the entire digestive tract, from the mouth to the anus, while ulcerative colitis exclusively affects the colon.

Crohn’s disease causes inflammation in all layers of the intestinal wall and leads to symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss, and fatigue. Fever and blood in the stool can also occur. The inflammation can appear in irregular sections of the intestines, leading to a “striped” impairment of the digestive tract. Crohn’s disease often has extra-intestinal symptoms, such as skin rashes, joint pain, or eye inflammation.

Ulcerative colitis affects the inner lining of the colon and also causes chronic inflammation. The main symptoms include bleeding from the intestines, frequent bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain, and the sensation of needing to go to the bathroom frequently. The inflammation is usually continuous and typically affects the entire colon or parts of it.

In contrast, irritable bowel syndrome is a functional gastrointestinal disorder where the digestive tract shows no obvious organic cause for the symptoms. The symptoms of IBS include abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, or constipation, often related to stress or certain foods. Although IBS also comes with gastrointestinal discomfort, no inflammation or structural changes in the digestive tract are present, unlike those found in Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

Chinese herbal tea, in conjunction with acupuncture, is commonly used in Chinese medicine to treat these conditions. The most common symptoms that occur in these disorders include diarrhea, bloating, abdominal pain, and constipation. Depending on the consistency of the stool and accompanying symptoms, a Chinese syndrome diagnosis can be made.

The syndrome diagnosis is of utmost importance here, as it forms the basis for the treatment strategy. For example, the diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome can be further subdivided into various subcategories. Examples include liver Qi stagnation or spleen Yang deficiency. Depending on which subcategory is identified, the herbs and acupuncture points for the patient can be individually tailored. Additionally, the syndrome diagnosis also determines the lifestyle recommendations for the person. For irritable bowel patients with the subcategory of liver Qi stagnation, emotions are a key contributing factor. Meditation or Qi Gong are recommended in this case. For irritable bowel patients with a syndrome diagnosis of spleen Yang deficiency, cold and raw foods should be avoided, as these tend to intensify diarrhea.

We would be happy to advise you on your individual symptoms and the possible therapies.