Acupuncture And Crohns Disease - Does It Work?

Author: Sharon Dobson

You can have Crohn's disease for quite a long time before your doctor figures out what is wrong with you and gives you the correct diagnosis. This is because the disease has many confusing symptoms, and it can be diagnosed as many other things before the true cause of your misery is found. Your pain and problems may not make any sense until the true diagnosis of Crohn's is made. You may find that the treatments you are getting from your doctor are not enough for you, or you may find that you cannot get relief not matter what you try. Some patients begin to wonder if acupuncture and crohns relief might be things that can go together.



Crohn's disease can be diagnosed at almost any point during adulthood, but there the majority of sufferers find out they have it when they are teenagers. When one or both parents have Crohn's disease, it is likely that their children may develop it also. Ongoing studies are suggesting that Crohn's might also be a result of environment, as spouses are occasionally diagnosed. This would mean it is not just a genetic disease. In most cases, your diagnosis will mean changes in your lifestyle, but it is not normally fatal. There are drugs that are proven to help some patients, but others are looking for a different, more natural approach. This is when they may turn to acupuncture.



This practice has been around for centuries, and has helped patients with the symptoms of Crohn's. You won't know if it will help you unless you try it. This from of alternative medicine is based on the theory that the body is a mass of energy, and there are energy channels running through the body. These are called meridians. When they become blocked for any reason, the energy cannot run freely. This stops the body from healing itself, and that can lead to many health problems. Acupuncture uses tiny needles to activate points along these different meridians to release the energy so that it flows freely and allows the body to regain its balance.



Severe weight loss is a huge problem with those who have Crohn's. The intestines are often the main focus for the disease, and this is why many vitamins and nutrients are not absorbed into the body. Calories are not absorbed, and the body is just not getting what it needs to function properly. Crohn's does not just affect the intestines, however, as it can flare up at point along the digestive tract. When acupuncture is performed on someone with Crohn's disease, the points chosen for the needles will be those that lie along the meridians relating to the digestive system. The points can also be stimulated with the skilled hands of a chiropractor, where pressure rather than needles are used to stimulate the body.



The jury is out as to whether acupuncture and Crohns go together, but there are many that swear by this type of therapy. The best way to find out if it will work for you is to try for yourself. You can usually find a qualified acupuncturist in your own community. Keep in mind that you should continue to seek medical treatment while you are undoing acupuncture and crohns treatment to be sure your body is getting what it needs. Also remember to communicate how you are feeling with both your doctor and acupuncturist to ensure they both know your current condition.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/acupuncture-and-crohns-disease-does-it-work-122762.html
About the Author

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Medical Marijuana Benefits Crohn's Patients

While I'm not an advocate of illegal drug use I am very interested in the healing effects of Medical Marijuana and found this article to be very informative. I hope you do too...M

Canadians Living with Crohn's Disease Benefit from Using Medical Marijuana

Author: Bonnie Pranger

Marijuana, cannabis, marihuana, pot, weed - no matter what it is called, marijuana has been demonized for years as being an evil drug. Despite positive research from institutes of study in many countries, medical marijuana (not to be confused with cannabis for recreational use) is still a matter of strong debate. Oddly enough, the debate is hottest not between the general citizens of a country, but between the medical community and the respective governments.

In places where using medical marijuana is legal, studies are ongoing and often produce results that surprise many in the medical community. Others feel the results only serve to enforce the belief that marijuana is not the demon plant propaganda has said it is.

Canadians and Crohn's Disease
Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis (related to Crohn's disease) are serious problems for more over 170,000 Canadians. In fact, Canada has one of the highest rates of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in the world. Sufferers may have persistent diarrhea, fever, cramping and abdominal pain, and rectal bleeding. Many lose their appetite, which can cause unhealthy weight loss, while some are plagued by nausea and vomiting. Crohn's disease can affect the joints, liver, skin and eyes, as well, and commonly causes great fatigue.

Crohn's disease is chronic; periods of remission are mixed with periods of intense activeness. Unfortunately, the medical community has been unable to find the cause of this disease, although they believe it has to do with an overactive immune system, initially triggered by outside influences. The Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) states:

"Many scientists now believe that the interaction of an outside agent (such as a virus or bacterium) with the body's immune system may trigger the disease, or that such an agent may cause damage to the intestinal wall, initiating or accelerating the disease process."

They further state that, "Because there is no cure for Crohn's disease, the goal of medical treatment is to suppress the inflammatory response. This step accomplishes two important goals: It allows the intestinal tissue to heal and it also relieves the symptoms of fever, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. Once the symptoms are brought under control (this is known as inducing remission), medical therapy is used to decrease the frequency of disease flares (this is known as maintaining remission, or maintenance)." - CCFA

Medicinal Therapy for Crohn's Disease

Much of the traditional medication (the medical therapy mentioned by CCFA) used to treat Crohn's disease includes a mixture of anti-inflammatory, antibodies, immune modifiers/suppressants and corticosteroids. Indeed, traditional medical treatments become a cornucopia of pharmaceutical concoctions.

As with most man-made medicinal products, each treatment also causes its own symptoms. For instance, the immunosuppressive medicines can cause nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting. Steroids also cause these symptoms, with the addition of anxiety and depression, as well as bone thinning, peptic ulcers and other issues with prolonged usage.

Mesalamine, an anti-inflammatory, can cause mild side effects like hair loss, headaches and itching. However, it can also cause severe side effects such as pancreatitis, blood disorders, fatigue and tremors. Kidney dysfunction and IBD-like symptoms are also possible.

Medical Marijuana for Canadian Crohn's Disease Sufferers

Thanks to a number of organizations, medical institutes and studies, Canada has relaxed the laws on medical marijuana. It is legal for Canadian Crohn's disease suffers to have a medical marijuana excemption with a written doctor's prescription.

Many studies have proven that medical marijuana helps as an anti-inflammatory. Users of medical marijuana for Crohn's disease found themselves able to reduce - if not eliminate - the need for steroid treatment and to reduce the immunosuppressive medications, as well as Mesalamine.
A study in 2005 by the University of Bath in England noted that "some extracts from cannabis, known as cannabinoids, closely resemble molecules that occur naturally in our body, and by developing treatments that target this system, we can help the body recover from some of the effects of these diseases." Although the University doesn't condone or support the use of medical marijuana, they are focusing on more research to narrow down the actual effects of cannabinoids on Crohn's disease.

For actual Crohn's disease sufferers, however, the evidence is overwhelming. A pilot study by the Society of Cannabis Clinicians, reported at the International Association for Cannabis as Medicine with the following results:

"For all signs and symptoms [of Crohn's disease] evaluated in the study, the patients described marked improvements with the use of cannabis. Beneficial effects were reported for appetite, pain, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, activity, and depression. Patients also reported that cannabis use resulted in weight gain, fewer stools per day and fewer flare-ups of less severity."

Medical marijuana has been used to increase appetite, decrease depression, anxiety, vomiting and weight loss, as well as used as a pain suppressant for many individuals with other diseases. Multiple sclerosis, chronic pain sufferers and cancer patients have all found these benefits with the use of medical marijuana. Therefore, it is no surprise that cannabis is also being used by Canadians who suffer from Crohn's disease for the same symptoms.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/canadians-living-with-crohns-disease-benefit-from-using-medical-marijuana-2664342.html


About the Author

About The Author: Bonnie Pranger promotes the Health Canada Medical Marijuana Program through Medicinal-Marijuana.ca by helping connect qualified patients with designated growers across Canada. We provide information, support and resources to all Canadians who would like to access the medical marijuana program of Canada. Visit online today.