Many Americans have one or more gallstones, according to MayoClinic.com, and the associated symptoms can be painful and uncomfortable. Acupuncture, particularly a specialized form known as ear acupuncture, has been used to relieve the pain and discomfort associated with gallstones. As with any alternative treatment, to ensure that you get the best care, consult your doctor before using acupuncture.
Gallstones
Gallstones form inside the gallbladder, a small organ in the right side of the abdomen that secretes a digestive fluid called bile. With diameters that can range from miniscule to golf-ball sized, gallstones are made of hardened digestive fluid and other substances that collect in the gallbladder. Many people with gallstones don’t experience noticeable symptoms and don’t require medical intervention. When patients do suffer from painful symptoms as a result of their gallstones, gallbladder removal surgery is frequently performed.
Acupuncture Theory
For thousands of years, practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine have used acupuncture to treat a variety of ailments. Traditional Chinese medicine claims that acupuncturists can heal illnesses by inserting thin metal needles into the skin at specific acupuncture points. Stimulating these points, which lie on a network of energy channels called meridians, redirects the flow of blood and vital energy, or “qi,” in the body. According to traditional Chinese Medicine, these imbalances are the culprits behind health issues.
Acupuncture Treatments for Gallstones
According to the Yin Yang House acupuncture clinic in Chattanooga, Tennessee, gallstones can result from qi imbalances flowing through the liver meridian, and from damp heat in the liver and gallbladder. The treatment protocol the clinic recommends for gallstones includes acupuncture points chosen to disperse dampness and harmonize the liver and gallbladder qi. Ear acupuncture, which became popular in the 1980s, is another approach to treating and expelling gallstones. This approach has used pressure applied to acupuncture points after eating, or electroacupuncture applied to ear acupuncture points.
Considerations
While acupuncture is generally recognized as a safe practice within the medical community, there are some risks, particularly when it is not practiced by an experienced, licensed acupuncturist. Be sure to check your acupuncturist’s credentials before receiving any treatment. A February 1999 review published in “The Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine” found that acupuncture was effective in expelling gallstones and alleviating their symptoms, but noted that there is a risk of inducing gallstone pancreatitis as a result of the treatment.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Gallstones -- Definition; July 2011
- "The Journal of Complementary & Alternative Medicine"; Acupuncture for Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Disorders; David L. Diehl, M.D., F.A.C.P.; February 1999
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Acupuncture - An Introduction
- Yin Yang House; Acupuncture for Gallstones - Treatment Protocols; August 2006
- Acupuncture America; Acupuncture for Gallstones; Subhuti Dharmananda, Ph.D.; 2011
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