A young woman came to our clinic complaining of painful bloating after meals. This bloating pain acupuncture case describes how we identified her underlying issue and resolved the bloating pain in just six treatments.
Severe Bloating Pain
Our patient was a 32-year-old successful real estate broker, working long hours and demanding days. Six months earlier, she began developing bloating pain, especially after meals. She tried modifying her diet, taking supplements, and seeing various GI doctors to no avail. Removing gluten and dairy did not ease her pain, and prescription medications failed to help. Finally, frustrated, she turned to acupuncture.
Bloating Pain Acupuncture Case
Our intake exam revealed an abundance of relevant information. First, our patient’s pulse was wiry, indicating that her body held a great deal of stress. She reported low stress levels, stating that she “thrived on stress.” We believed her – she had an outgoing personality, was an extrovert, and enjoyed her fast-paced work environment. However, just because she was not “feeling” stress didn’t mean her body was not harboring it.
Stress has a bad habit of aggravating body systems – and the digestive system is one of the most susceptible. Chinese medicine recognizes stress as a leading causal factor in diagnosing irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Secondly, her tongue had a thick white coating with rough edges. The white layer reflected stomach weakness, while the rough edges were another indication that her body was holding too much stress. The tongue coating should be clear, allowing you to see the pink body of the tongue. When a white coating appears, it indicates that the stomach is not digesting properly.
Why Now?
As we were talking, our patient asked, “why now”? Why did these symptoms appear out of the blue six months ago? She had been working a demanding job for years without any stomach problems, and she could not identify any triggers or traumas that could have instigated these issues. We explained that age is often the factor explaining why stress starts taxing the body.
When we’re young, we can take a lot of stress and still maintain good health. But, as we get older, we’re just not as strong as we used to be. Our minds still have the energy, but our bodies begin lagging. It’s like folks who enjoy pizza and beer in their twenties but start getting indigestion from the same food in their thirties and forties. Their minds still think it’s a good meal to enjoy, but their bodies can’t keep up like they used to.
Forming A Chinese Medicine Diagnosis
Now armed with a list of symptoms, medical history, and a tongue and pulse assessment, our next step in this bloating pain acupuncture case was to formulate a Chinese medicine diagnosis – the root cause of her bloating pain. Our patient’s diagnosis was clear and straightforward – Liver Qi Stagnation Overacting on the Stomach and Spleen resulting in severe bloating pain. The treatment strategy was to smooth the Liver (resolve the stress building up in her body) and strengthen her digestive function.
Acupuncture Resolves Bloating Pain
Our patient responded well following her first treatment – afterward, she felt relaxed. Reporting back to us the following week, she said there was significantly less bloating pain all week long. We treated her three more times, once a week, after which her bloating pain was 70 percent resolved. In addition, her pulse was much less wiry, and her tongue coating was significantly less thick – it was easier to see her tongue body.
It only took two more treatments to fully resolve her bloating pain. After that, our patient decided to come for maintenance treatments once a month for the next few months. She enjoyed the acupuncture so much that she made these monthly sessions an ongoing part of her health regime.
This bloating pain acupuncture case is an excellent example of how acupuncture can deliver long-term relief for health conditions by addressing the underlying root causes of disease. Our patient’s work was still stressful, but acupuncture helped her body remain strong, protecting her digestive system.
Next Steps
If you or a loved one struggles with bloating pain or another digestive disorder, try acupuncture. Treatments are safe, natural, and provide long-lasting relief.
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What our Clients are Saying
I can’t express enough gratitude for the positive impact acupuncture has had on my life. For years, I struggled with debilitating gastroparesis symptoms that left me feeling trapped in a cycle of pain and discomfort. Traditional medical treatments provided limited relief, leaving me searching for alternative therapies. That’s when I discovered Raleigh Acupuncture. From my first session, I felt a significant relief. As I continued regular acupuncture sessions, I noticed a remarkable improvement in my gastroparesis symptoms. The chronic nausea, bloating, and stomach pain that once plagued me began to reduce, allowing me to reclaim control over my body and my life. Acupuncture not only provided relief from my symptoms but also helped me feel more balanced and relaxed. I had more energy and focus. Today, thanks to Raleigh Acupuncture, my life is fuller and more vibrant and my gastroparesis is completely manageable. I strongly recommend acupuncture to anyone struggling with similar challenges. It truly is a holistic healing medicine.
Thanks Mark for helping relieve my gastroparesis! The nausea, stomach pain, and reflux were driving me crazy. With your help and dedication I’m feeling so much better. Recommended!
I developed severe abdominal pain following the stomach flu. Three rounds of antibiotics did not help. Neither did an elimination diet. Raleigh Acupuncture got rid of the pain in six treatments! Acupuncture is amazing. And so are they.
My acid reflux meds stopped working about three months ago and someone suggested acupuncture so I gave it a try. I couldn’t eat anything without having burning pain from my stomach up into my chest. What a relief from the acupuncture! They totally cured my reflux. I’ve been living with this, just managing it with medications, when all the while I could have cured it with this. Absolutely amazing! I love Raleigh Acupuncture!!
My husband Arthur and I have used Raleigh Acupuncture bi-weekly for at least 4 years, for a variety of treatments, including general well-being. Both of us felt our ailments healed with the treatment. I initially visited for Irritable Bowel Syndrome – and had immediate relief… the practitioners are very professional and learned, and we have every confidence in them. Even though we pay out of pocket, we obviously feel that the acupuncture is worth it. We both highly recommend Raleigh Acupuncture – you won’t regret it!
I have always had a nervous stomach. Some people get headaches, I get stomach aches. It’s always worse with stress and eases up on the weekends when I can relax. I did not think of getting treatment until I stumbled on an article saying how acupuncture was excellent for treating stomach pain. I went to Raleigh Acupuncture and described my condition. They explained why my stomach hurt. It totally made sense to me. It’s all about internal balance. So they went to work on me to get my stomach balanced. And I’m pleased to say that it worked. I no longer have a nervous stomach and stomach pain, even in stressful situations. I’ve made some changes to my diet, based on their recommendations, and took chinese herbs for a while, but don’t need to take them now. I’m convinced that I would have lived with stomach pain for the rest of my life had it not been for acupuncture.
I’m totally afraid of needles, but my wife convinced me to try acupuncture for my IBS. It was really hampering my life. I’d have to go to the bathroom 5 times before leaving for work. Then at work I’d be sitting in a meeting and all of a sudden have to go again. Any type of stress set me off. At first they could only use 2 needles, that’s all I would let them do. But after a few treatments I started relaxing and felt more comfortable with the needles. The effect has been amazing. I’m so much better now. Mornings are easy, no problems at work. It’s hard to believe, because I’ve had this for my entire adult life. Now I just go in for maintenance and have some herbs I take when I need them. Raleigh Acupuncture is a great outfit.