You’ve doubled up on probiotic fruits and even splurged on those expensive pill options that you keep in the fridge – all in the hope of finally achieving a healthy gut.
But, what if a little-known wellness technique was the answer to all manner of digestive issues, from chronic constipation to that ever-present and oh-so annoying bloating.
Take a deep breath and exhale that uncomfortable stomach out for the last time – a healthy gut may be as close as booking an acupuncture appointment.
A new study published in Annals of Internal Medicine found that people with severe chronic constipation may get relief from electroacupuncture, a technique that uses acupuncture needles connected to a device that sends electric pulses into the body.
The study took 1075 people who suffer from chronic, severe “functional” constipation—meaning they have a bowel movement less than twice a week—and split them into two groups.
Half received electroacupuncture administered to the muscle layer of their abdominal wall, while the other half received “sham” treatments, where the needles were applied at points not considered therapeutic in acupuncture.
Over the eight-week treatment period, 31 percent of patients in the electroacupuncture group had successfully overturned their bathroom troubles, while only 12 percent of the “sham” patients achieved the same success.
While this was great news for those who got relief from their gut problems during the study, it didn’t end there: For 38 percent of them, the relief continued after the treatments stopped.
If electroacupuncture seems like a hard-to-find solution, New York City-based acupuncturist Daniel Hsu says traditional needling can be effective as well.
Whether it’s electrically enhanced or not, acupuncture heals in two ways: “It makes the body release its own naturally occurring painkillers” and “it helps the body calm the nervous system,” he tells HealthDay.
Since stress is often the root cause of irritable bowel syndrome and other stomach issues, acupuncture can help to even out the body’s response to stress, he says.
