conditions - Constipation

Regular bowel motions are an essential part of good health, ideally you should be able to go to the toilet once or twice a day without needing to strain or experience any discomfort or pain

Constipation is the term used to describe difficulty in bowel movements that are infrequent and/or difficult to pass, and when passed are often hard or dry

In traditional Chinese Medicine, constipation is commonly viewed as being caused by an excess of heat in the body, which can dry out the body fluids, harden the stool, impede the muscular movements of the intestines and make it difficult to move the bowels.

Chinese Medicine also considers Stress Management to be important in preventing of fixing Constipation. Work stress, over-thinking, anger and other strong negative emotions can slow the movement of stools through your intestines, causing constipation. Acupuncture can help reduce stress.

In additional to Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine, using Chinese Nutritional theory, it may be recommended, when you’re constipated, to include naturally sweet and moisturising fruits such as peaches, apricots, pears and figs, and nuts and seeds such as almonds, walnuts, pine nuts, pistachios and black sesame seeds in or diet to assist in resolving constipation. At the same time, it may be recommended that, sour and astringent foods such as lemons, limes, pickles and vinegar are best avoided when you’re constipated, according to Chinese medicine

Generally Chinese Medicine considers Constipation to be due to four main causes:

Heat

Caused by excessive heat in the body, especially in the large intestine. In Chinese Medicine theory, too much heat consumes the body fluid, affecting the stools in the bowel and not allowing them to move freely. The stools are dry or hard, and other symptoms such as bad breath, dry mouth, dark urine, bloated stomach and a flushed complexion may be experienced.

Cold

In Cold type of constipation, the stool is dry or normal, however difficult to pass. Other symptoms such as pale complexion, cold limbs, a dislike for cold temperatures and a pain that does not disappear when you apply pressure on your stomach may also be experienced. The tongue may appear pale.

Qi Stagnation

The symptoms of constipation caused by Qi stagnation include difficulty in passing stools even though you have the urge to do so, stomach bloating, frequent belching, poor appetite, and for women PMS. The tongue observation, which is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine tongue diagnosis maybe reveal a thin, white coating.

Deficiency

In the case of a deficiency issue, there is the urge to clear the bowels, however you have to push very hard to do so. Constipation related to deficiency patters have varied symptoms, in some cases for example, the dry stools look like small stones. Other symptoms may include fatigue, dry skin, dry hair. The tongue would generally be pale in this case.