Treating IBS With Acupuncture

Clients at our Minneapolis clinic are confirming that acupuncture and Chinese medicine treatments offer relief from even the most stubborn digestive problems. Gastro-intestinal complaints account for over 35 million physician office visits a year. Because of the side effects of prescription drugs and their sometimes failed results, many patients are turning to acupuncture for help.

If You Have IBS, You Are Not Alone

It is estimated that IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) affects 9% to 23% people worldwide. Many people are undiagnosed, unaware that they have a medically recognized disorder and have not had any successful treatments for IBS. Truth be told, there is a natural remedy for IBS that has been around for thousands of years.

Chinese Medicine has Treated Digestive Disorders Since 3 A.D.

Historical evidence shows that Chinese medicine has been used for digestive disorders as far back as 3 AD, where specific herbal formulas and acupuncture points for abdominal pain and diarrhea with pain are discussed.

Conditions which respond well to Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine include:

• IBS, IBD
• Crohn’s disease
• ulcerative colitis
• atrophic gastritis
• peptic and gastric ulcers
• gastrointestinal tract bleeding
• intestinal cramps

Symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are abdominal pain or discomfort, bloating and changes in the bowels (diarrhea, constipation or both, alternating). In some cases the symptoms of these disorders can become severe and can impair quality of life significantly. In spite of the high numbers of people this affects, standard medical methods are limited and many have not received successful treatment for irritable bowel syndrome. So many people choose to pursue complementary or alternative therapies such as acupuncture and Chinese medicine.

Why Is Acupuncture So Popular?

With gastrointestinal disorders, patients are often dissatisfied with conventional options available. Acupuncture can relieve your pain and discomfort and effectively increase internal organ functioning. Many people choose acupuncture to cure their abdominal pain, nausea, constipation, diarrhea and bloating.

How Does Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Work Scientifically?

A number of modern studies, most of them conducted at China’s leading research and teaching institutes as well as hospital settings, show that acupuncture and herbal medicine can bring about positive internal changes in the human digestive system, including increasing immunoglobulins, T-lymphocytes and serum gastrin.

Stress can have negative effects on your gut, causing increased inflammation. Acupuncture can decrease your stress by modifying the nervous system response.

“I started seeing acupuncturist Steven Sonmore when I was diagnosed with mild IBS. To reduce the pain my only option was antidepressants – I wasn’t happy with that and decided to seek something else. After 4 weeks of acupuncture I am virtually pain free. I am happy that I found Steven at Complete Oriental Medical Care. I would recommend this practice to anyone seeking holistic care.” LeAnna Siegfried, Minneapolis, MN

Schedule your appointment for better digestive health TODAY. Call 612-866-4000.

In Better Health,
Steven Sonmore, Licensed Acupuncturist
www.orientalmedcare.com
612-866-4000

“There are no riches above a sound body.” – The Apocrypha

April 13, 2017 by Steven Sonmore | Filed Under: Acupuncture, Articles, IBS

Some client reviews

Complete Oriental Medical Care

4.9

Based on 70 reviews

rein amundson amundson

17:50 05 Nov 19

I came in because I had mono, doctors and nurses at urgent weren’t doing anything but right from the first treatment... I felt amazing relief. I have a lot more energy then before and the other symptoms went away very quickly. I would recommend this place for anyone.read more

janice wade

20:14 27 Oct 19

I came to Complete Oriental Medical Care to get help with a pinched nerve in my shoulder. I had severe pain in my... shoulder and numbness in my hand. I sought help from my clinic and the clinic doctor provided steroids and muscle relaxants. These medications provided some relief but left me groggy and unable to work effectively. The pain also made it difficult to get restful sleep. I was a ball of pain and feeling like a zombie. I decided to seek acupuncture to get relief without the hard medicine. The acupuncture provided by Steven has been incredible. With the first treatment I felt relief. Within a few weeks my pain substantially subsided and I felt human again. With the addition of the Chinese herbs I also aches a restful and regular nightly slumber without the sluggish feeling. Steven is absolutely an expert acupuncturist. He designs a care plan specifically to the needs of each patient. I couldn’t be happier with my results.read more

Betsy Weiner

21:40 03 Sep 19

Dr Sonmore and Naijin have been incredibly helpful in facilitating my healing journey. I have been struggling with ice... pick headaches, nausea, and BFS (Benign Fasiculation Syndrome). Western medicine has not proven to be particularly helpful. Dr Sonmore was the first Dr to actually give me a diagnosis and create a plan for healing. Naijin is always friendly, supportive and flexible with getting me in to see Dr Sonmore. I highly recommend this practice!! Many thanks and deepest gratitude to both Dr Sonmore and Naijin!read more

Marie

18:35 30 Jul 19

My elderly mother was diagnosed with advanced dementia back in 2015. The deterioration continued until by the end of... 2018, she was losing motor control and in Jan 2019 had a bad fall and hit her head. We had no choice but to move her into a nursing home in March 2019, as we could no longer care for her at home. She was almost fully unresponsive, in a high-backed wheelchair because she could not support her own head, on oxygen 24/7, had to be transferred between bed and wheelchair with an automated lift, could not feed herself, and had to be put on thickened liquids and pureed food because she was losing her ability to chew and swallow. Steven Sonmore started treating her in the nursing home in mid-March. After two sessions, to our surprise, she responded to simple questions with one- or two-word answers. Over the subsequent weeks, she started to occasionally proactively ask about family members and was able to maintain short back-and-forths about a given topic. One of the nurses said she almost cried when one day my mother noticed and commented on how pretty her necklace was. In May, my mother was taken off of daytime oxygen. Physical Therapy signed her out of their services because she was now so mobile that she could stand up and sit down on her own and walk 75 ft. with a walker; there was nothing more they needed to do for her except to prescribe her to practice walking 2x a day. In June, Speech Therapy re-tested her, and she is now back on regular, thin liquids and ordinary soft foods cut into small pieces. My mother now feeds herself and is able to transfer with a 2-wheeled walker and 1-person assist between bed and wheelchair, as well as wheelchair and toilet--yes, she now can say when she needs to use the toilet and can actually use it. The other morning I told her that my son was going to dance class; that same evening, I brought him to visit her, and to my amazement, she asked, "So did he go to dance class?" For anyone with a family member with advanced dementia, you know just how tremendous it is for that person to actually remember something even ten minutes later, much less several hours. We are ethnic Chinese and have spent most of our lives in Greater China--Hong Kong, Taipei, and Beijing. We know the benefits of Chinese medicine and have seen numerous very good practitioners throughout Asia. I can say hands down that Steven Sonmore is the most effective doctor of acupuncture that we have ever encountered. Previous doctors of Chinese medicine have certainly helped our various family members in many ways. But never have I witnessed as fast and stark an improvement as I have with the treatment of my mother's dementia. Finally, let me clarify that there have been no major changes to my mother’s medications, and as good as it is, the care in the nursing home is always simply supporting what her needs are at any given time. Now, at the end of July 2019, just two weeks before my mother's 95th birthday, there is no question in my mind that it is Steven Sonmore’s acupuncture which is the reason for my mother awaking from the debilitating fog of dementia and now being able to enjoy a significantly higher quality of life for her remaining years.read more

Joanne Bean

20:58 26 Jun 19

I have had high blood pressure for nearly three years. An Internal Medicine (IM) physician prescribed a 10 mg does of... an Ace Inhibitor which gave me an extreme dry cough. Next was a Calcium Channel Blocker with side affects of swollen feet, ankles, and legs. Of course, IM mentioned giving me another medication to help that situation. That's when I knew without a doubt I was on the wrong path. I wanted healing not to keep covering up symptoms and having side affects upon side affects. I began my investigation of alternative healing and found Steven Sonmore and acupuncture. The night before my initial evaluation and treatment by Steven, my blood pressure spiked up to 150/128. My entire internal system was racing, my chest /breathing felt heavy and I felt terrible. Steven's diagnose and first treatment, hit the bulls eye. During this treatment, I began to feel a calm that was missing for a long time. After the treatment, I felt so uplifted, happy, and calm. All natural. I left saying this was "delicious." I had my second treatment and a day later my blood pressure was 115/69. Fantastic results. I also take the Chinese herbs Steven recommends. My energy level is very good. I have not felt this good in three years. I am on my way to excellent, natural health. Happy and healthy.read more

bgetchman1

19:52 20 Mar 19

Dr. Steven was great! Highly recommend coming here.

Pat Larson

17:59 16 Mar 19

I have gone to Steven the last few years for arthritic pain and back pain which has been bad in the winter and Steven... has helped me immensely.read more

Aaron Peterson

11:59 07 Sep 18

I am a 37 year old man and normally very healthy. I recently became ill with a head and neck problem. Through... acupuncture and rest I was able to heal over the course of 2 weeks. I would strongly recommend this as an alternative or supplemental treatment to conventional western medicine. All I can say is it worked for me!read more

Deb deVries

20:35 28 Aug 18

I was diagnosed with trigeminal neuralgia 3 years ago and did not like that the neurologists I saw treated it with... anti-seizure medication which has not been successful in alleviating my facial pain and also carry with them side effects that are not positive. I like Stevens's approach-using words like "curing" and although I am in the early stages of treatment I am enjoying a period of time with no facial pain! I am a believer!read more

John Zimmer

23:33 14 May 18

In October of 2017 I was diagnosed as having aggressive prostate cancer by the doctors at the VA Medical Center. My... wife and I decided that we wanted to battle this cancer using multiple tools. Besides the standard western medicine tools (used by the VA doctors) of radiation and hormone therapy, we settled on Steven Sonmore and his Oriental Medical Care practice. We chose Steven because he had treated my wife with acupuncture when she was diagnosed with kidney cancer. His treatments were very supportive in her fight. In my case, I started with multiple acupuncture treatments weekly over several months. Also during that time Steven prescribed an oriental herbal mixture to strengthen and support my treatment. I feel that his acupuncture and herbal mixture were major contributors to my remission diagnosis in May of 2018. Stevens treatments also helped alleviate many of the side effects of my other treatments such as dizziness, headaches and pain. I highly recommend Steven and his Complete Oriental Medical Care practice.read more

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