Chinese Medicine Treats Both Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis

Both Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis respond very well to Chinese medicine – acupuncture and herbal therapy. Crohn's disease is an autoimmune disease which involves chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. The main symptoms of Crohn's disease are abdominal pain, fever, fatigue and persistent, watery diarrhea. Symptoms range from mild to severe, and can come and go with periods of flare-ups.

Articles and Research

• In a study published in the journal, Digestion, acupuncture was found effective for treating Crohn'sdisease.

In this German study, 51 patients with mild to moderately active Crohn's disease had a decrease in disease activity after receiving 10 sessions of acupuncture. Study members also showed an improvement in general well-being and reported an improvement in quality of life.

Source: Joos S, Brinkhaus B, Maluche C, Maupai N, Kohnen R, Kraehmer N, Hahn EG, Schuppan D. Acupuncture andmoxibustion in the treatment of active Crohn's disease: a randomized controlled study. Digestion. 2004;69(3):131-9.

Reprinted from Gather.com

• A Chinese herbal formula containing Ku Shen (Radix Sophorae flavescentis) has been shown to be as effective as the anti-inflammatory drug mesalamine for treating ulcerative colitis (UC). The study, published in a Chinese medical journal (readable here). This herb is often included in formula for bothUC and Crohn's, though we individualize herbal therapy and acupuncture for the patient.

Crohn's Disease Treatable by Acupuncture, Study Says

A recent study in the Journal of Acupuncture demonstrates, yet again, the utility of Chinese medicine in treating Crohn's disease. The article, cited here, describes the study which looked at the treatment of several acupoints in managing the disease, which is characterized by chronic inflammation of the intestinal tract. This inflammation often leads to diarrhea, abdominal bloating and pain, vomiting, weight loss, eye disorders, arthritis, dermatological disorders, and fatigue.

Image courtesy of http://www.radpod.org/2006/12/02/crohns-disease-2/

There are many other studies, from around the world which demonstrate the utility of Chinese medicine in treating this digestive problem. Among them is a German study published in Digestion [abstract readable here], which concluded that, "...traditional acupuncture offers an additional therapeutic benefit in patients with mild to moderately active CD."

Acupuncture and Chinese herbal therapy have a long history of treating this disorder, often very successfully. At the Northside Holistic Center we frequently treat Crohn's, ulcerative colitis, and other chronic digestive issues.