Often neglected and ignored, our bowels are a good indicator if something is wrong in the body. As the saying goes: ‘Careful, travel expands the mind and loosens the bowels’, unknown foods, stress, dehydration, lack of exercise, fatty foods, but also certain times of the menstrual cycle are just some examples of the myriad of things that can affect bowel movement.
Chinese medicine differentiates three different main patterns: constipation, loose stools (up to diarrhea) and alternating stools.
One main question is: do you feel better or worse after a movement. If you do feel worse, you are deficient and need supporting acupuncture/ herbs. The usual pathogens that influence the whole body do also affect the bowels. So, we are dealing with potential: Cold, (Toxic-)Heat, Wind, Damp, and deficiencies. Depending on the exact presentation, the treatment to rid the body of the pathogens or in the case of deficiencies to tonify the body becomes then rather straightforward.