Natural Relief for IBS, Constipation, Bloating & Abdominal Pain with Acupuncture and TCM
Bloating, constipation, cramps, and irregular bowel movements are things almost all humans can relate to at some point in their lives. Whether its experiencing the “food baby” after a meal when your food won’t move, or skipping your daily bowel movement during times of stress, these complex digestive issues are understood and treated effectively in Traditional Chinese Medicine. As a Licensed Acupuncturist, rebalancing your gut health is involved in every session as gut health is core to treating almost any chronic issue. TCM uses a pattern‑based understanding, known as an imbalance, to assess and treat the individual holistically using many ancient modalities, including acupuncture and customized diet & lifestyle recommendations. Treatments bring relief of symptoms and actual healing of the gut microbiome over time.
In this post, we’ll go through some of the most common conditions we see clinically, how TCM understands them, and what you can to support healing outside of acupuncture, along with recommended supplements we see great results with clinically.
Constipation
Common signs and symptoms:
Hard, pellet‑like stool, or stool that’s dry
Straining, discomfort, feeling like you haven’t fully emptied
Occasional bloating or fullness in belly
Possible dry mouth, thirst, or dry skin (if Heat or Yin deficiency is involved)
Low energy, or fatigue (in cases of Qi Deficiency or Blood / Yin Deficiency)
The TCM Lens:
Constipation isn’t just that you “can’t go” or don’t go often enough. It can connect to stress, heat, irritability, your cycle, and so much more.
In TCM, there are a few different patterns that can underlie and cause constipation. A few of the most common are known as:
Heat in the Intestines — too much heat dries things out. Stools then become hard, dry and difficult to pass. You may also feel thirsty and irritable.
Qi Deficiency — this is when you may have not enough energy or strength to push stools out. Bowels may be infrequent, require a lot of effort, or your stool may be soft but you still strain. You may also feel tired.
Blood / Yin Deficiency — when you are lacking fluids or nourishing substances. Stools can be dry and hard. The skin or eyes can be dry as well, sometimes signs of internal dryness can occur.
Lifestyle Recommendations
License Acupuncturists will assess and treat you based on the pattern imbalance that your body is presenting and treat your body holistically to assess and treat the root cause of your constipation.
Outside of getting acupuncture and potentially trying some classic Chinese herbal formulas, here's what you can also do to support healing and ease constipation:
Eat more fiber, especially gentle forms: cooked vegetables, softened fruits (like pears, baked apples), legumes if tolerated.
Hydrate well, but avoid large cold drinks—warm or room temperature water is gentler.
Warm, cooked foods preferred over raw or cold foods so your digestion isn’t over‑strained. Soups, stews, lightly steamed veggies.
Add mild warming spices like ginger, cinnamon, fennel to stimulate digestion.
Include foods that lubricate or moisturize the intestines: for example, small amounts of healthy fats, chia or flax seeds (if tolerated), cooked pumpkin, sweet potato.
Avoid too much spicy, greasy, or heavily fried foods especially if Heat is part of your pattern.
Movement: walking, yoga, gentle stretching. Physical movement helps stimulate bowel motility.
Regular meal times: try not to skip meals; eat when relaxed; chew well.
Evening routine: warm baths, avoiding heavy meals right before bed.
Loose Stools, Diarrhea, or Frequent Soft Stools
Common signs and symptoms:
Frequent soft stool or watery diarrhea
Undigested bits of food in stool
Bloating, gas, cramping
Sometimes urgency or incomplete evacuation
Feeling cold in belly or limbs (in cold‑damp cases; feeling warm or heat in damp‑heat cases)
Fatigue or heaviness (often in Spleen Qi deficiency)
The TCM Lens
Loose stools or diarrhea can have different underlying causes in TCM.
Some common patterns underlying the source of your loose stools may be:
Spleen Qi Deficiency — the spleen is in charge of digestion, so when it is weak, digestion is inefficient; food isn’t transformed well, so stools are often loose, undigested, and fatigue results.
Cold‑Dampness or Damp‑Cold — cold and dampness (through foods or even weather) can slow digestion and produce loose, watery stool. You may feel cold (especially in belly or limbs) if this is contributing to your loose stools.
Damp‑Heat — when heat is present with dampness, you might get loose, urgent stools that are foul smelling, possibly burning or accompanied by mucus.
Lifestyle Recommendations
Loose stools can often be a sign of other digestive imbalances that may need further investigation through stool testing to look into H. pylori, SIBO, viruses, parasites, IBS, diverticulitis and other common gut health issues.
Acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine-based formulas can still be helpful to treat your symptoms and issues alongside your loose stools, but other TCM based recommendations can be helpful:
Mild, warming, cooked foods: congee (rice porridge), broths, steamed veggies.
Avoid raw, cold foods and beverages, especially if cold‑damp or spleen weakness is present.
Limit greasy, heavy, spicy foods, refined sugar, dairy (if it seems to aggravate).
Include gentle binding or astringent foods: banana, cooked pumpkin, small amounts of rice, sweet potato.
Avoid excess liquids with meals; drink between meals more than during.
Herbal teas: for example ginger, mint (depending on your pattern).
Warmth: keep belly warm (warm clothes, heating pad if needed).
Reduce irritants: alcohol, caffeine, very spicy foods.
Bloating & Distension
Common symptoms:
Feeling full quickly, or distended abdomen after eating
Gas, belching, sometimes reflux
Heaviness, sometimes a dragging feeling in belly
Possible pain or discomfort after meals
Sluggishness, fatigue, and sometimes poor appetite if Spleen is weak
The TCM Lens
Bloating often reflects stagnation or dampness in the digestive system, and sometimes a combination.
Here are common TCM patterns:
Qi Stagnation — when energy (Qi) isn’t flowing smoothly (often due to stress or emotional build‑up), gas, bloating, or distension after eating can result.
Dampness / Spleen Weakness — when the digestive organs are weak, moisture builds up; digestion is then sluggish and fullness or heaviness may result.
Food Stagnation — this can occur from overeating, eating heavy foods, combining incompatible foods, eating too quickly, or raw/cold foods.
Lifestyle Recommendations
Eat smaller, more frequent meals rather than large meals when very full.
Chew well, slow down eating. Avoid distractions (TV, phone) during meals.
Avoid cold or raw foods especially when digestion feels weak.
Favor easily digestible proteins (fish, chicken), cooked vegetables, root vegetables.
Use warming spices: ginger, garlic, fennel, turmeric.
Avoid gas producing foods for some people: beans, cruciferous vegetables (if those trigger), carbonated beverages. Try scaling slowly.
Walk after meals (gentle movement helps Qi flow and reduces gas).
Stress reduction tactics: deep breathing, relaxation before/after meals.
Abdominal / Gut Pain / Cramping
Common Symptoms:
Sharp or cramping abdominal discomfort
Pain that worsens with stress, cold, or certain foods
Relief with warmth, movement or after passing gas or bowels
Possibly a dull ache and heaviness (if dampness is involved)
The TCM Lens:
Pain and cramping in the gut, digestive tract, and abdomen can come from several TCM pattern imbalances. Oftentimes, the TCM diagnosis is based on the specific quality, feeling, and attributes of the pain. In conventional medicine, pain is pain. In Eastern Medicine, every quality about that pain distinguishes its source.
Some common imbalances include:
Qi Stagnation — pain that’s better after passing gas or a bowel movement; typically feels like tension or pressure.
Cold Invasion — pain that is sharp, cramp‑like, aggravated by cold, and relieved by warmth.
Damp‑Heat — pain with burning, urgency, gas, along with possible inflammation or irritation that is more chronic. Pain or cramping that comes with acute stomach bugs or the stomach flu can also be considered damp heat.
Food Stagnation — pain when food is poorly digested; accompanied by heaviness or fullness, nausea, and/or belching.
Lifestyle Recommendations
Warm, gentle foods; avoid cold or raw; avoid overly rich or greasy meals.
Warm compress or heating pad to soothe pain / cramping.
Avoid foods that irritate: spicy, acidic, very fatty foods.
Small, frequent meals rather than large heavy ones.
Movement: gentle movement may help relieve pain when it’s due to stagnation.
Relaxation and managing stress: tension and stress worsen cramping; try techniques like gentle yoga, breathing exercises, or meditation.
IBS and Irregular Bowel Movements
Common Symptoms
Alternating constipation and diarrhea
Bloating or abdominal discomfort that seem random
Urgency or incomplete bowel movements
Fatigue or discomfort after meals
Stress worsening your symptoms
The TCM Lens
Liver Qi Stagnation overacting on Spleen: Stress or emotional tension disrupts digestion, causing irregular stool patterns and bloating.
Spleen Qi Deficiency: Weak digestive energy leads to loose stools, fatigue, and poor nutrient absorption.
Damp-Heat Accumulation: Can cause loose stools with urgency, abdominal heaviness, or a burning sensation.
Lifestyle Recommendations
Smooth Liver Qi: Gentle exercise, yoga, or acupuncture to reduce tension and promote free flow of energy.
Support Spleen Function: Warm, cooked meals; regular meal times; avoid excessive cold or raw foods.
Manage Damp-Heat: Limit greasy, spicy, and highly processed foods; stay well hydrated.
Mind–Gut Connection: Meditation, journaling, or post-meal walks help regulate bowel habits.
Common Supplements:
Supplements can often work well for these common gut health issues. In the clinic, I often recommend the following:
Probiotics – Help rebalance gut flora and support healthy digestion. Look for a high-quality, multi-strain formula that includes Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species to reduce bloating and improve stool regularity.
Magnesium Citrate – Gently supports bowel movements by drawing water into the intestines, making it especially useful for constipation related to dryness or tension.
Aloe Vera Juice – Cooling and soothing for the digestive tract. It can ease bloating and mild constipation, especially when inflammation or “heat” is present in the gut.
Warm Ginger Tea – Ideal for those who experience loose stools, nausea, or cold-type digestive discomfort. Ginger warms the stomach and promotes smoother digestion.
Smooth Move Tea – A natural herbal alternative to laxatives like Miralax, useful short-term for constipation relief. (Avoid long-term use, as senna-based teas can be habit-forming.)
Electrolytes & Minerals – Proper hydration and mineral balance are key for motility and overall digestive function. Consider adding trace mineral drops or a clean electrolyte powder if you tend to run dry or fatigued.
Fiber Supplements (like flaxseed meal) – Add gentle bulk to the stool, support gut microbiome health, and help regulate both constipation and loose stools when used consistently with plenty of water.
If you have specific questions, feel free to reach out via email: info@nuwaveacupuncture.com.
