Curing Colitis With TCM

Herbal KingDigestion

Ulcerative colitis is an unpleasant and potentially serious illness, affecting the colon and gut. Symptoms include diarrhoea, abdominal pains and the passing of bloody or mucoid stools. A colectomy is the possible surgical solution to remove the diseased section of the bowel which can result in the patient needing to use a colostomy bag for the rest of their lives. The conventional alternative to surgery is to prescribe a high dosage of steroids. Both choices have very unpleasant side effects.

In China, patients have the further alternative choices of using natural herbs and acupuncture. This approach has had great success in the successful treatment of ulcerative colitis.

When making the herbal prescription for the patient, the TCM practitioner will pay careful attention to the various factors concerning the diseased colon including:-

  1. The entire gastro-intestinal system needs to be adjusted to re-establish the normal peristaltic (squeezing movement) activity. The central nervous system controls the movement of the digestive system. Over excitation of the nerves can cause intestinal muscle hypertonia (high tension in muscles), irregular peristaltic movements and vasospasms. As a result ulceration can occur in the mucosa linings of the intestinal wall due to ischaemia or inadequate blood flow and reduced immunity to the toxic contents of the intestines. TCM selects herbs which will relax the nervous system allowing the intestinal walls to reduce tension which will improve the blood flow.
  2. The intestine must be cleared of all traces of infectious substances and any other detritus. An individual with ulcerative colitis may find difficulty in defecation because of the previous build up of mucus in the intestine. TCM describes this as a retention of wetness toxins. Certain special herbs can clear such toxins from the intestines and restore the natural environment in the gut which will assist repair of the mucus system.
  3. TCM usually aims to improve the energy levels in patients, especially those with long term colitis causing physical weakness through poor digestion.
  4. Foods,which caused the irritation of the intestinal walls, must be identified and reduced or removed from the diet. Such foods often include chilli peppers, alcohol, bananas, frozen foods and fizzy drinks.

Herbs prescribed in the treatment of ulcerative colitis are taken in the form of an aqueous liquid or “herbal tea” and are generally taken over a period of one to six months as a course of treatment or until the symptoms completely disappear. Treatment would normally continue for another two to four weeks to ensure no reoccurrence and then cease to allow for reassessment. Click our contacts above to find out more.