“Chronic constipation. Should I go for acupuncture?”

Acupuncture helps promote blood and energy flow. Any blockage can cause problems for digestion and constipation. We would help to lubricate the intestines and promote blood and energy flow so that you can go back to a normal schedule.

Chronic means that that the problem lasts more than 6 months. Yes, you can try acupuncture and find out the cause of your problems, once it’s discovered, the result can be successful

Acupuncture will help to regulate your entire digestive system which will help your constipation. We do also work with dietary counselling. Laxatives will force a bowel movement but they don't resolve the issue of why you're constipated to begin with. In Chinese medicine, that issue can be emotional as much as it can be physical.

There is a magic point for regulating bowel movements for diarrhea as well as constipation. Within 3 hours, my patients usually feel the result. However, it may take 2 -4 visits if you are "very" chronic to stabilize the symptom completely. We usually give you advice on dietary changes to prevent constipation, too. I hope this is helpful to you. Thanks for the question.

Acupuncture works with your body to get its energies flowing the way they are supposed to flow, thus getting the digestive process back on track. You might also consider upping your water intake to half your body weight in ounces every day. That in and of itself can take care of constipation for some people. Diet also plays a huge role - lots of fiber and juicy foods can help.

Usually, when western medicine doesn't see anything wrong, there may still be some issues that we in Chinese medicine are able to assess and help fix. I recently had a patient similar to your condition and after the 3rd or 4th treatment they were actually going twice a day. The only thing that made it get worse again was when the patient starting eating excess sweet or cheesy foods.

Diet can be a huge part, as well as emotional factors and just general miscommunication of body functions. Western medicine separates the body functions into categories, but in Chinese medicine we look at how they all work together and how one body function (such as, say respiration) may affect another (like digestion) as can emotions, lifestyles, diet and a whole slew of other issues.

If you're not getting help from the MD's and don't want to rely on laxatives, by all means, try a Licensed Acupuncturist (L.Ac.) in your area to get some relief. It may take a few sessions, but you should notice change quickly. If you're first choice isn't helping, find another - there are always better practitioners to find.

Good luck.

Acupuncture is excellent for chronic constipation. The theory behind acupuncture is to promote circulation, whether it's the blood, stuck food, mucus, or fluid (edema). The acupuncturist would probably use points along the abdomen and legs for constipation.
Another great modality to add to the acupuncture is an abdominal massage (Chi Nei Tsang) which I am also trained in.
Additionally, electric stimulation with acupuncture along the abdomen will almost always allow a bowel movement because the electric stimulation are artificially causing your intestines to push.

Acupuncture tends to be relaxing and promote the function of the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), also referred to as 'Rest and Digest'. The PNS also increases intestinal and gland activity, and relaxes sphincter muscles in the gastrointestinal tract.

A recent study done in China with over 1000 people demonstrated that acupuncture with electrical stimulation is a valid treatment option for people suffering from chronic constipation.

Yes, acupuncture can treat this condition. Chronic constipation in Chinese Medicine arises from your diet. I would try to recalled the foods you ate for the last few months. Keep a food diary of what your eating and bring the journal to your acupuncture sessions. An acupuncturist will be able to explain if your current diet is suitable for your health.

Absolutely! Acupuncture can certainly help constipation for the simple fact that acupuncture creates movement and circulation. There are a few causes for constipation according to eastern medicine: dryness, stress, and lack of movement (like in the case of a sedentary person). Eating more greens and/or drinking green juice can help. Drinking plenty of water, aloe juice, and taking a cod liver oil supplement are also helpful. Best of luck to you

Acupuncture can probably help with your issue and it's certainly worth a shot if you don't like the medication side-effects.

Acupuncture stimulates the parasympathetic side of the autonomic nervous system. By way of a brief explanation: the autonomic nervous system is essentially in charge of those functions over which we do not typically exert conscious control. It has two divisions: the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system. These divisions can be thought of, more or less, as acting in opposition.

The sympathetic system is also known as the "fight or flight" side. It functions to increase heart rate, breathing rate and it shifts blood flow away from internal organs to prepare us to either fight or run for our lives.

The parasympathetic side is also known as the "rest and digest" side. It functions to decrease heart and breathing rate and it shifts blood flow to internal organs in order to help us digest food and assimilate nutrients.

Modern life has a tendency to place us in unending "fight or flight" mode. Our jobs, daily commute and so on do not leave us much downtime. Society tells us we have to be go-go-going all the time which doesn't allow the parasympathetic to kick in. This creates a problem because the "fight or flight" side of the system is only meant to be engaged temporarily, not all the time. Our bodies are adapted to be spending most of their time in the "rest and digest" mode.

And this is where acupuncture comes in. The needles strongly promote the parasympathetic ("rest and digest") system. This shifts blood flow towards the internal organs promoting digestion as well as the digestive muscle contractions which move food and waste through the system and out.

A good practitioner of Chinese medicine will discuss both diet and lifestyle with you during your initial intake. It's highly likely they'll also suggest diet and lifestyle changes to help with your issue. You'll get the best results from treatment if you can incorporate some of these changes.

For the best results, please make sure you're seeing an NCCAOM board certified acupuncturist. To find someone local, go to NCCAOM.org and click their "Find a Practitioner" link.