Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and indigestion cover symptoms such as bloating, abdominal pain, wind, diarrhoea, constipation or a heavy stomach after eating. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, a sensitive gut is not one single problem: the same bloating or cramps can come from very different imbalances. Finding your pattern is what lets us treat the cause, not just the symptom.
Most people with IBS or indigestion fit mainly into one of these patterns (sometimes a mix of two). Read the symptoms – which one sounds most like you?
IBS: Cramping and urgency come on with stress or emotion, and pain often eases after opening the bowels.
IBS: A full, bloated feeling after meals, with loose or soft stools and low energy, worse when tired or after raw and cold food.
IBS: Urgent, often burning or foul-smelling diarrhoea, worse after spicy food, alcohol or greasy meals.
IBS: A heavy, overfull stomach after eating, often after rushed meals, overeating or late-night food.
IBS: Loose stools first thing in the morning, with a cold, aching abdomen that feels better for warmth.
Not sure which one fits? That’s normal – many people have a mix. At your first consultation we look at your tongue, take your pulse and ask detailed questions to confirm your pattern.
Your treatment plan follows your pattern – the same condition can need quite different treatment.
Acupuncture to soothe the Liver and settle the gut, often with herbs and practical stress-management advice. Many patients find their gut is less reactive and cramps become less frequent after a few weeks.
Tonifying acupuncture with moxibustion on the abdomen to warm and strengthen digestion, plus herbs and advice on warm, cooked food. Many patients notice less bloating and firmer stools within a few weeks.
Acupuncture to clear heat and drain Damp, sometimes with cupping, plus cooling herbs and dietary changes. Urgency and burning often settle fairly quickly once the diet triggers are reduced.
Acupuncture to get the stomach moving and relieve fullness, with digestive herbs and advice on eating habits. Many patients feel lighter after the first sessions.
Warming acupuncture with generous moxibustion on the abdomen and lower back, plus warming herbs. Many patients notice their morning urgency easing and their stomach feeling warmer and calmer.
For IBS and indigestion, many patients notice less bloating and more regular bowels within the first 2–3 weeks, with more stable results after around 2 months.
Most patients start to notice a change within the first two to three weeks of regular treatment.
Improvements become more consistent. If treatment stops as soon as you feel better, the body hasn’t settled yet and symptoms can slip back to where they started.
Continuing a little longer after you improve lets the new balance hold. Stopping at this point, symptoms are much less likely to return.
We space sessions out and finish. You won’t need to rely on treatment forever.
Every case is different: some conditions are stable within 1–2 months, longer-standing ones can take up to around 6 months. We’ll give you a realistic estimate at your first consultation.
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