Acupuncture Healthcare

Note of caution:  If you find discussion of bowel movements uncomfortable, please do not read further.

Constipation is a common source of frustration, discomfort and pain to many people.  In Traditional Chinese Medicine, constipation is separated into two major categories by asking the question, “Is it excessive or deficient?”  And unfortunately, there can often be a combination of both in complicated cases.  For the sake of simplicity, the focus of this blog will be about excess type constipation, which is treated differently from the deficiency type.

Excessive type constipation is due to heat in the bowels.  The stool is dry and hard and difficult to push.  It is also the easiest to treat.  A diagnosis of this form of constipation can be seen on the tongue as a thick yellowish fur coat and possible red or purple tongue body.  The pulse may be fast.

Dietary restrictions are usually required with this type of constipation, particularly foods that are warm or hot in temperature, and by that I do not mean Fahrenheit temperature, but rather the nature of the food itself.  For example take a bite of a banana and imagine it in your mouth, chew it and swallow and feel it in your belly.  It is cool by its very own nature.  Now imagine a red, hot chili pepper.  Take a bite of it, how does it feel in your mouth?  In your belly?  Quite hot!  Some foods are neutral in temperature, some slightly warm, slightly cold, very cold, and others may be very hot.  For constipation due to heat in the bowels it is important to stop adding heat to the already raging fire in the colon.

The major restrictions are alcohol, meat, animal fats, and other rich or greasy foods and diuretics such as coffee, which remove water from the colon.  It is important at this time to begin adding foods that will lubricate the intestines:  *spinach, banana, sesame oil/seed, honey, pear, prune, pine nut, almond, carrot, cauliflower, beet, seaweed.  And to combine with foods that promote bowel movements:  *cabbage, papaya, peas, black sesame seed, coconut, sweet potato, fig, and bran from oats/wheat/or rice.

There are also herbs that will increase the mucosal lining of the colon to make passage of the bowel movement easier:  *marshmallow root, flax seed, fenugreek seed, psyllium seed, and licorice root.  For intense cases it may be necessary to add laxative herbs such as:  *dandelion root, rhubarb root, cascara bark or barberry bark. Several of these herbs are very cold and are to be used with caution.  I strongly advice working with an herbalist if laxative herbs are necessary.  A practitioner will be able to advise the proper combination and duration of  herbs for treatment because these laxative herbs are  cooling or very cold in nature and are not intended for long term use.

*Flora-Enhancing Foods are safe to add and necessary for replenishing the flora of the colon for proper digestion.  Examples of these are:  miso, sauerkraut, plain yogurt, acidophilus, and kefir.

Colonics and enemas may be necessary in the first few weeks to help clear heat and move bowels that have been compacted by chronic constipation.  Again, I advise working with a TCM practitioner to determine whether this is a necessary step and to refer you to knowledgeable colonic therapists.

*Dietary advice from Healing with Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford

Tags: constipation, dietary advice, health care