01. February 2016 · Comments Off on A Recent Study Has Proven that Acupuncture Works in Treating Crohn’s Disease · Categories: Acupuncture · Tags:

Acupuncture is an effective treatment for Crohn’s disease, a recent study has found out. This conclusion was reached by researchers from the Shanghai Research Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion and the Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The results of their study were printed in the Journal of Acupuncture and Tuina Science. The aim of the study was to see if acupuncture was aviable treatment for intestinal fibrosis among patients with Crohn’s disease. The researchers observed how acupuncture affects the growth of Col I (type I collagen)and bFGF in the intestines of rats suffering from Crohn’s disease. The expression of bFGF and Col I was markedly reduced after the administration of acupuncture. This proved that acupuncture was able to decrease the abnormal high levels of these substances. Acupuncture of Miami prevents intestinal fibrosis of Crohn’s disease sufferers by lowering the abnormally high levels of bFGF and Col I.

Acupoints

In the study, the acupoints CV 6 (Tsihai) and St25 (Chanshu) was stimulated with needles. The modes of treatment in the other groups included electroacupuncture and moxibustion. No acupuncture treatment was given to the control group. The moxibustion and electroacupuncture groups manifested significant improvements while the control group showed no improvements whatsoever. The researchers concluded that moxibustion and acupuncture and can lower excessive deposition thus treating fibrosis in Crohn’s disease sufferers.

What is Crohn’s Disease?

An inflammatory disease of the intestines, regional enteritis or Crohn’s disease can affect any region of the gastrointestinal tract (mouth to anal sphincter). Fatigue, dermatological disorders, arthritis, eye disorders, weight loss, vomiting, stomach pain and bloating, and diarrhea are its most common symptoms. Crohn’s disease is deemed to be the result of an autoimmune system disorder of the gastrointestinal tract. There is evidence that genetics does play a part in its etiology, but there is also substantial evidence that the environment contributes to this condition. Smokers are twice as likely to develop Crohn’s disease compared to those who don’t. Most doctors’ goal is to control the symptoms since there is no cure for Crohn’s disease. It can raise the risk of cancer in the affected parts of the intestines and may result in growth failure in children.

Ulcerative Colitis

Usually confused with ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease often affects the colon and the terminal ileum. Ulcerative colitis, on the other hand, always affects the colon but seldom impacts the terminal ileum. Crohn’s disease always affects the anus while ulcerative colitis oftentimes does not. Crohn’s generates snakelike or patchy intestinal ulcerations while ulcerative colitis leaves a continuous path of ulceration. In Crohn’s disease ulceration is deep while in ulcerative colitis it is shallow. Because of this, Crohn’s disease can lead to stenosis of the intestines. The study also reveals that acupuncture is able to stave off intestinal fibrosis, which thus helps prevent stenosis.

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