Indigestion (or heartburn, dyspepsia, upset stomach, or acid reflux) is a set of symptoms that often manifests differently in individuals. Other than what its other names imply, these symptoms include distended stomach, discomfort in the upper abdomen, nausea and vomiting, and excess gas resulting in flatulence and belching.
The underlying causes of indigestion are distinct for each person as well. It is common in pregnant women, for example, especially those in the last stages of pregnancy. However, their symptoms — and causes — are often quite different from those who have GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). There are also those who experience indigestion due to eating too quickly and/or too much. Things like anxiety, excessive stress, alcohol, and smoking can also cause indigestion. Indigestion can also result from gallstones and peptic ulcer, and can also be a side effect of certain medications.
What an acupuncture treatment plan is like
These varying situations may perhaps be the reason why the approach of conventional medicine often falls short. Conventional medicine often simply addresses the set of symptoms. Traditional Chinese medicine seeks to correct symptoms as well as their causes. Often, these causes are unknown even to the patient, especially if it’s psychological in nature.
Tram Pham, our licensed acupuncturist, will conduct a thorough consultation and examination before giving a diagnosis. This will enable her to figure out a treatment plan that will address the causes of the symptoms. No two diagnoses will be exactly the same. It follows that treatments for different patients will be different, even when they present the same symptoms.
The acupuncturist would select and adjust modalities of healing. Aside from acupuncture for indigestion, there are also treatments like herbal remedies and prescribing lifestyle and dietary changes. What remains the same is the aim of correcting the energy flow throughout the body’s meridians. This will restore the proper flow by removing blockages and ultimately returning the balance that would allow the body to heal itself.
How acupuncture for indigestion can help
There are many ways that the Qi or energy could be thrown out of balance in such a way that it causes indigestion. Te imbalance usually occurs around the area of the abdomen that encompasses the navel up to the sternum. This is called the epigastric region. Traditional Chinese medicine would classify the issues in this area as “epigastric pain.”
An acupuncture practitioner will perform a thorough examination that seeks to pinpoint the exact nature and location of the problem. Afterward, she would select the acupuncture points in the body that have the most direct connection to the internal part concerned.
Learn more about how acupuncture helps treat digestive issues.
First and foremost, acupuncture for indigestion can help alleviate any emotional or psychological factor that might be causing digestive problems. The simple act of inserting the ultra-fine needles into the skin can induce the release of certain chemicals in the brain. These chemicals can lower stress, promote relaxation, and boost mood and general feelings of well-being.
It can also help reduce accompanying symptoms such as nausea and abdominal discomfort. Using the distal healing technique of acupuncture known as the Balance Method, the acupuncture points selected by Tram would target the blockages in the flow of energy within the body, restoring its balance in the process, and re-enabling the body’s natural ability to heal and renew itself.
About acupuncture in Santa Barbara Herb Clinic
The owner and acupuncturist of the Santa Barbara Herb Clinic is Ms. Tram Pham, L.Ac., who has inherited the position from the late Dr. Henry Han. As a proponent of the Balance Method which had been pioneered by the Master Richard Tan, under whom Tram studied during the last years of his life, she puts great value in a holistic method of healing, focusing on the complete wellness of the body, mind, and spirit and not just on treating an ailing body part. She harmoniously combines this acupuncture system with other traditional Chinese medicine’s modalities such as moxibustion, fire cupping, tui na, gua sha, and many others, electing and tailoring techniques to suit the exact needs of a patient.
The clinic can offer more than acupuncture for indigestion. We also have an extensively stocked Herbal Pharmacy which houses various powders, herbs, teas, pills, and other rare medicinal items. People outside of the Santa Barbara area may also benefit from this and from the clinic’s other services, as we mail prescribed herbal remedies wherever you are in the country.
References
http://okanaganacupuncture.com/indigestion/
https://www.acupuncture.org.uk/public-content/public-ask-an-expert/ask-an-expert-body/ask-an-expert-body-abdomen-gastro-intestinal/ask-an-expert-body-abdomen-gastro-intestinal-indigestion-dispepsia/4607-can-acupuncture-help-indiges.html
http://www.acupuncture.com/Conditions/indigestc.htm
