The passing of watery and loose stool multiple times per day is a symptom of diarrhea. The main causes of diarrhea are overeating or drinking, being cold, allergic reactions to certain foods, psychological stress, and viral or bacterial infections. According to traditional Chinese medicine, diarrhea, either chronic or acute, occurs as a result of a deficiency in the spleen. When there is a deficiency in the spleen, there is an obstruction in the distribution of this water and nutrients within the body. This causes malnutrition, which causes the water and nutrients to converge in one location, leading to diarrhea.
You can strengthen the spleen by applying pressure to certain acupressure points to stop diarrhea.
What Is Diarrhea?
Diarrhea is a digestive problem mostly caused by viruses or bacterial infections. Its main symptoms include passing out watery or loose stool more than four times per day. Some other symptoms may include nausea, weight loss, vomiting, abdominal pains, etc. Diarrhea also affects people of all ages and sizes, including children and the elderly.
Diarrhea can be acute, persistent, or chronic. Acute diarrhea usually lasts between 2 to 4 days, after which it goes away on its own without the patient needing medical assistance. It becomes persistent diarrhea when symptoms persist for over two weeks. It becomes chronic diarrhea when it lasts beyond 4 weeks. This is usually a sign that the patient might be suffering from other diseases, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
With proper knowledge of acupressure points for diarrhea, you can perform self-administration of acupressure for diarrhea treatment or seek the services of a professional acupressurist to help ease the pain of diarrhea in its early stages.
Can Acupuncture help With Diarrhea?
Acupuncture and acupressure for diarrhea are popular methods used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Acupuncture might not help cure diarrhea or other gastrointestinal issues at once, but it can help relieve the pain and quicken the recovery process.
A research work published in December 2014 discovered that a combination of moxibustion and acupuncture significantly reduced abdominal pain and diarrhea symptoms in patients.
When used as a standalone procedure, acupuncture demonstrated a 76.7% effective rate in reducing abdominal pain, diarrhea, and bowel movement frequency. This shows that using acupuncture, as well as its counterpart, acupressure for diarrhea, is very effective. When combined with moxibustion, its effective rate rises to 96.7%.
In this 2018 study, a network meta-analysis (NMA) was carried out to check the efficacy and possible side effects of acupuncture, pinaverium bromide (with other drugs), and sham acupressure in treating diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome.
At the end of the network meta-analysis, it was discovered that acupuncture has higher efficacy and the least side effects. It uses acupressure points for IBS with diarrhea such as ST36, ST25, ST37, GV20, SP6, and EX-HN3.
The study concluded that acupuncture could improve irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and diarrhea more effectively than drugs with minimal side effects.
Another systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the safety of acupuncture and its clinical effectiveness in treating diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) in adults.
Thirty-one studies involving 3,234 patients were examined, and it was concluded that acupuncture improves the clinical effectiveness of IBS-D or FD.
Can Acupuncture Cause Diarrhea?
Acupuncture and acupressure involve stimulating certain points in the body with either thin needles or by applying pressure. This is aimed at relieving certain health conditions or symptoms such as pain or soreness.
Different people, especially first-timers, react to acupuncture in different ways. There are certain side effects patients undergoing acupuncture can experience, such as bruising, headaches, emotional release, and even some gastrointestinal issues such as diarrhea.
People having gastrointestinal issues can suffer from diarrhea when undergoing acupuncture treatment. As an anti-inflammatory treatment, acupuncture helps to alleviate issues such as inflammation and muscle tightness in the digestive tract. When these issues are relieved or eased up, it might lead to diarrhea or you feeling nauseous.
Acupressure Points For Diarrhea
According to traditional Chinese medicine, the spleen is responsible for the transportation and transformation of water and nutrients within the body, while the kidney yang is responsible for warming the spleen to ensure proper functionality. Diarrhea occurs when there is a yang deficiency in the kidney or spleen. In TCM, acupuncture and acupressure treatments are carried out on these diarrhea acupressure points to ease and relieve gastrointestinal issues.
Acupoint: ST-25 (Other Names: Stomach-25/Tian Shu/Celestial Pivot)
The first acupressure point for diarrhea treatment we will be looking at is the ST-25. The ST-25, also known as the celestial pivot, is located in the middle of the stomach, 2 cun lateral to the belly button or umbilicus.
When activated, the ST-25 helps to regulate the large intestines, spleen, and stomach. They also help in dispelling heat and dampness from the large intestine. ST-25 also helps to resolve blood stasis and qi stagnation.
Massaging the ST-25 in a clockwise manner using your index finger can help ease your diarrhea. Other benefits of the ST-25 acupoint include easing abdominal pain and distention, lateral umbilical pain, constipation, and also its use in acupuncture for swollen ankles.
Acupoint: SP-6 (Other Names: Spleen-6/San Yin Jiao/Three Yin Intersection)
The SP-6 (the spleen-6) is also known as the three yin intersection. This is the point, or rather, the junction where the liver, kidney, and spleen meridian cross.
This acupoint has a lot of important functions, such as strengthening the spleen, and restoring balance to the yin, the blood, kidney, and liver. In addition, they are responsible for stimulating blood circulation and production, making them good acupressure points for cold hands and feet.
SP-6 also helps resolve the large intestine’s dampness, stomach and spleen deficiency, diarrhea, paralysis of the foot, and lots more.
It is located 3 cun directly above the medial malleolus, right on the posterior border of the medial aspect of the tibia.
Acupoint: ST-37 (Other Names: Stomach-37/Shang Ju Xu/Upper Great Void)
The ST-37 is also known as the great upper hollow. It is one of the best acupoints you can use to carry out self-acupressure for diarrhea treatment.
It is located 3 cun below ST-36, on the anterior part of the lower leg, one finger’s breadth away from the anterior crest of the tibia.
The ST-37 acupoint is used to treat disorders of the large intestine by regulating its function, dispelling damp-heat, and dispelling food retention.
ST-37 helps alleviate diarrhea and dysentery pains and serves as a good acupressure point for lower abdominal pain.
Acupoint: ST-36 (Other Names: Stomach-36/Zu San Li/Leg Three Miles)
ST-36, also known as the ” three miles of the foot”, is located 3 cun below ST-35, one finger’s breadth from the anterior crest of the tibia.
This is one of the best acupuncture points for diarrhea because, according to traditional Chinese medicine, the ST-36 is the command center of the stomach.
ST-36 helps to harmonize and strengthen the spleen and stomach and also tonifies Qi and blood. It also activates the meridian and stops pain.
Activating this acupoint is effective against stomach pain, mostly caused by stress. To activate this acupoint, place your thumb on the ST-36 acupoint for 3 to 5 seconds. Repeat this for 3 to 5 minutes. Also, the ST-36 is an effective acupressure point for colds.
Acupoint: GV-20 (Other Names: The Governing Vessel-20/Bai Hui/Hundred Convergence)
The GV-20, popularly known as the “hundred convergence,” can be located at the top of the head, about 7 cun above the posterior hairline, sitting at the middle of the line connecting both auricles.
This acupoint sits at the crown of the head where all the other yang meridians meet. Traditional Chinese medicine uses the GV-20 to treat psychological problems. For example, performing acupressure on it can help clear the mind, lift spirits, and strengthen the spleen’s ascending function (this helps tackle diarrhea). It is also used in acupuncture for autism.
Conclusion
- ST-25 regulates the large intestine, spleen, and stomach. They are also useful in curing blood stasis and qi stagnation.
- SP-6 is where the liver, kidney, and spleen meridians cross. They also aid blood circulation and production. In addition, they strengthen the spleen and kidney, which helps curb diarrhea.
- ST-37 is used to treat disorders of the large intestine by regulating its function, dispelling damp-heat, and dispelling food retention.
- ST-36 helps to harmonize and strengthen the spleen and stomach and also tonifies Qi and blood. It also activates the meridian and stops pain.
- GV-20 helps to clear the mind, lift spirits, and strengthen the spleen’s ascending function (this helps tackle diarrhea).
