Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a set of autoimmune disease in which the attacked tissue is that of the digestive tract. Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis (UC) are the most common forms of IBD.
Signs and symptoms included abdominal pain, diarrhea (may contain blood), rectal bleeding, fevers, weight loss, fatigue, mouth ulcers (more common in Crohn's), and painful and difficult bowel movements (more common in ulcerative colitis).
General Acupuncture Protocol for IBD
You don't have to be slavish about the sides below. Switch it up if you need to, but start like this if you can. The Liver points are located on the right because that is more commonly where the energy of the Liver channel expresses.
Left Side Chang Men, Gan Men, Xia San Huang
Acupuncture Protocol for Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease
If you are treating Ulcerative Colitis (UC) or Crohn's, use this modification instead. This point combination more strongly addresses the Large Intestine meridian and also adds the Xi Cleft of the Stomach channel to help with pain and bleeding.
Left Side Xia San Huang, St 34, St 36, St 37
Point discussion
San Qi is a three point unit on the Large Intestine meridian that has applications in any type of bowel disease. Qi Jiao and Qi Zheng also work as a version of the xi cleft of the Large Intestine channel.
Xia San Huang is a three point set on the Spleen channel, which helps the Spleen control bleeding. St 34 is the xi cleft of the Stomach/Yangming channel, which helps control bleeding and pain as well. St 36 is the He Sea and Lower He Sea of the channel, so it also help with pain and digestive function. St 37 is the Lower He Sea of the Large Intestine which helps this Fu organ function properly.
The Liver points on the right help regulate stress, move blood properly in the intestines, and sedate the Liver so that the element of wood does not overact on the element of earth and the Middle Jiao.