Treatments in Conventional Medicine and Their Limitations
Conventional medicine primarily uses symptomatic therapy to alleviate symptoms.
- Antidiarrheals: Drugs like Loperamide inhibit gut motility to stop diarrhea. In infectious diarrhea, this can worsen symptoms by preventing toxin expulsion.
- Laxatives: Osmotic or stimulant laxatives induce forced evacuation. Long-term use can lead to "Lazy Bowel", making defecation difficult without medication.
- Antibiotics: Used for bacterial enteritis, but can cause gut microbiome imbalance by killing beneficial bacteria.
[Limitations]
These medications control symptoms temporarily but do not restore the gut's intrinsic function.
Especially in chronic cases, they can increase drug dependency and make the intestinal mucosa more sensitive.
BM's Integrative Solution: Improving Gut Environment and Regulating Autonomic Nerves
BM Korean Internal Medicine Clinic helps the gut move on its own without relying on medication.
- Detoxification (解毒) & Clearing Heat (淸熱): For chronic diarrhea or IBD, we use Hwangryeonhaedok-tang pharmacopuncture or herbal medicine to reduce inflammation and expel toxins.
- Warming (溫熱) Therapy & Strengthening Spleen (健脾): We use Ijung-tang or moxibustion to warm a cold gut, increasing blood flow and restoring motility to treat chronic constipation and diarrhea simultaneously.
- Mind-Body Stability: For IBS patients, we use Gamisoyosan to correct autonomic imbalance caused by stress and relieve intestinal spasms.
Evidence-Based Korean Medicine (Scientific Evidence)
Studies continuously verify the effectiveness of Korean Medicine in regulating gut motility and improving the intestinal environment.
- Acupuncture for IBS: Acupuncture significantly improves abdominal pain and diarrhea symptoms in IBS patients and enhances quality of life.
- Manheimer E, Wieland SL, Cheng K, et al. Acupuncture for Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. The American Journal of Gastroenterology. 2012;107(6):835-847. doi:10.1038/ajg.2012.66
- Microbiome Modulation by Herbal Medicine: Certain herbal medicines help balance the gut microbiome by promoting beneficial bacteria and suppressing harmful ones.
- Xu J, Lian F, Zhao L, et al. Structural modulation of gut microbiota during alleviation of type 2 diabetes with a Chinese herbal formula. The ISME Journal. 2014;9(3):552-562. doi:10.1038/ismej.2014.177
- Herbal Medicine for Constipation: Clinical studies show that Hemp Seed Pill increases spontaneous bowel movements and improves stool consistency in functional constipation.
- Cheng CW, Bian ZX, Zhu LX, Wu JCY, Sung JJY. Efficacy of a Chinese herbal proprietary medicine (HEMP seed pill) for functional constipation. The American Journal of Gastroenterology. 2010;106(1):120-129. doi:10.1038/ajg.2010.305
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