According to Australia Bureau of Statistics, diseases of the digestive system accounted for 4,939 registered deaths in Australia in 2008 or 3.4% of all registered deaths. The number and proportion of all deaths due to diseases of the digestive system have remained consistent since 1999. Slightly more females (2,510) than males (2,429) died from diseases of the digestive system in 2008.
What are the main digestive disorders?
Constipation, diarrhoea, IBS and indigestion caused by gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) are among the most common digestive problems.
It’s important to obtain a proper diagnosis if you think you may have a digestive disorder.
Acupuncture has been widely used in the management of gastrointestinal disorders. According to one of the research article published on National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine, it says:
“Pilot studies have shown that acupuncture is effective in a wide range of gastrointestinal disorders”.
" Given the limitations of the existing data, animal and human studies demonstrated that acupuncture has certain regulatory functions on gastrointestinal motility and gastric acid secretion. "
“Acupuncture promotes gastric peristalsis in subjects with low initial gastric motility and suppresses peristalsis in those with active initial motility”
" A review of studies from both the Chinese and Western literature supports the efficacy of acupuncture in the regulation of gastrointestinal motor activity and secretion through opioid and other neural pathways."
According to Oriental medical theory, most digestive disorders are due to disharmony in the spleen and stomach. The spleen plays a central part in the health and vitality of the body, taking a lead role in the assimilation of nutrients and maintenance of physical strength. It turns digested food from the stomach into usable nutrients and Qi (energy).
By taking into account a person's constitution and varied symptoms, a treatment plan is designed specifically for the individual to bring their "middle" back into harmony and optimize the proper functioning of the digestive system. A variety of techniques can be used during treatment including acupuncture, lifestyle/dietary recommendations and energetic exercises to restore digestive health.
source:
http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov