Chinese Medicine for IBS
By Dr (TCM) Attilio D'Alberto | Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner, Wokingham
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) affects approximately 1 in 5 people in the UK and is characterised by abdominal pain, bloating, altered bowel habit, and a symptom pattern that fluctuates with stress and diet. Conventional medicine offers symptomatic management but no cure. Traditional Chinese medicine treats IBS by addressing the organ system imbalances that produce the symptoms — producing meaningful long-term improvement in many patients.
TCM Patterns in IBS
The most common TCM pattern is liver qi stagnation invading the spleen — stress causes liver qi to overact on the spleen and stomach, producing the characteristic IBS pattern of abdominal pain relieved by defecation, bloating, alternating diarrhoea and constipation, and symptoms worsened by anxiety. Spleen qi deficiency with dampness underlies the IBS-D (diarrhoea-predominant) subtype — loose stools, urgency, undigested food in stool, fatigue after eating. Large intestine heat or cold patterns underlie specific subtypes.
Treatment
The classical formula Tong Xie Yao Fang (Important Formula for Painful Diarrhoea) addresses the liver-spleen disharmony pattern directly and is the most commonly used formula for IBS with the liver-invading-spleen pattern. For spleen deficiency with dampness, Shen Ling Bai Zhu San strengthens the spleen and resolves dampness. Acupuncture regulates gut motility, reduces visceral hypersensitivity, and modulates the gut-brain axis — research confirms significant symptom improvements. I prescribe pharmaceutical-grade granules from Sun Ten in Taiwan.
To discuss IBS treatment, contact me or book a consultation in Wokingham.
