3 Ways to Use Chinese Medicine for Heartburn

1. Stick It to Heartburn With Acupuncture

One of the ways Chinese medicine treats heartburn or GERD is through acupuncture. Acupuncture works through manipulation of certain points of the body, along the meridians of the body, which are sectors of the body. The Chinese philosophy of Yin and Yang influences acupuncture. A trained acupuncturist uses fine needles, magnets and even low currency electricity to open positive pathways in the body. Chinese medicine has treated heartburn this way for centuries with much success.

2. Blended Chinese Herbs

Several Chinese herbs are used to lessen heartburn and GERD. You can find supplements containing these herbs at your local health food stores. They take several herbs and combine them in a formula that lessens the symptoms. Herbs often found in these supplements are fennel, ginseng, angelica, coix and shen qu. Each of these herbs has its own effect on the digestive system. Shen qu, for example, is thought to regulate digestion and to disburse food in the digestive system. For a non-gas effect, they add peppermint to the blend. Each herb has a specific effect on the digestive system to help with the symptoms of heartburn or GERD.

3. Balance Your Ying and Yang

Chinese medicine believes that heartburn or GERD is caused by stress and a bad diet. They recommend life style changes to balance the ying and yang in life and eliminate heartburn and GERD. For stress, they recommend using Tai Chi or meditation. They also recommend avoiding certain things to bring back balance. Things, such as smoking, chocolate, spicy foods, peppermint and coffee, should be excluded. Foods to bring back positive balance are bananas, lettuce and olives. Chinese medicine also advocates good posture to help heartburn and GERD. They encourage sitting up straight, especially the upper portion of the chest. Bending at the waist after meals should be avoided.