Helix Clinic blog

IBS is probably the most common gastro-intestinal disorder. Roughly 15% of the population suffer from IBS complaints, with women twice as likely to be affected than men. IBS is characterised by some combination of abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, colonic mucus, dyspeptic symptoms such as flatulence or nausea, and varying degrees of anxiety and depression.

April is IBS awareness month, so we thought it would be good to talk about a few natural approaches to the treatment of IBS. The three major things to consider are (1) increasing dietary fibre, (2) eliminating allergic/intolerant foods and (3) controlling any psychological components to the problem. Today we will talk about (1) and (2), and tomorrow we will talk about (3).

As far as increasing dietary fibre goes, this is more important for people who are suffering with constipation rather than loose stools. Fibre from fruit and vegetables is usually the best kind - other traditional sources of fibre such as wheat bran could be contra-indicated because food allergy can often play a significant role in IBS, and many people have some kind of intolerance to wheat.

Food intolerances can be tricky to uncover and eliminate, but there are a few ‘old chestnuts’ that should be eliminated first to see if there is any improvement. Wheat, dairy, caffeine, sugar and alcohol are the first things to stop in order to see if symptoms improve. In fact, if the thought of giving up one or more of these fills you with horror, then that could well be the main culprit - the body often perversely develops an addiction to the food that it is intolerant to.

Other symptoms  such as palpitation, hyperventilation, fatigue or excess sweating could also indicate a possible food allergy or intolerance.

Try eliminating all of the ‘bad foods’ and wait until the symptoms subside. Then you can start slowly bringing each food back into the diet in small quantities one at a time. If the symptoms start up again then you will have a good idea which food could be causing the problem.

Foods containing refined sugar are particularly pernicious because they can lead to small intestinal bacterial overgrowth by decreasing the intestinal motility. A rapid rise in blood sugar slows GI tract peristalsis (the natural rhythmic movement of the intestines).

If you are suffering from abdominal cramping, you may want to try peppermint oil, as this can be good to relieve intestinal spasm and is often used to treat IBS. If possible, find capsules that are enteric-coated to prevent release of the oils too early in the digestive tract to avoid possible heartburn or acid reflux.

Tags: fibre, food allergy, IBS, peppermint oil

Some women who are having trouble getting pregnant get worried at the thought of all the drugs involved in assisted reproduction treatments like IVF. However, it is possible to do IVF in a natural cycle without hormonal stimulation.

A natural IVF cycle basically involves collection of a naturally produced egg, followed by fertilisation in laboratory and subsequent replacement of the embryo. It is less expensive and less invasive than a normal IVF cycle and in addition, because no drugs are used to stimulate the ovaries, it can be easily repeated in following cycles if unsuccessful after the first go.

The only thing is that success rates tend to be low compared to stimulated cycles. However, for women who don’t want to take conventional fertility medicine, or who can’t take fertility medicines, this treatment could be an option to consider. For example, women who are ovulating and have damaged tubes may wish to try a natural cycle of IVF before moving on to stimulated IVF.

Obviously, the natural IVF cycle fits well with the natural approach of acupuncture. No research has yet been done to see if the natural IVF success rates are improved if women also have acupuncture treatment, but based on previous studies of acupuncture and IVF it could be an interesting study to look at.

Tags: fertility, infertility, IVF, natural cycle

Today a patient asked me about research studies that have been done looking at the effects of acupuncture for Multiple Sclerosis, and off the top of my head I couldn’t think of any major ones so did a bit of searching on the web to see what was out there. There have been a few small scale studies but overall it is a little surprising how few studies have evaluated acupuncture in Multiple Sclerosis. I did make one interesting finding though.

The Rocky Mountain Multiple Sclerosis Center is a centre for the study of MS founded in 1978 by 2 men dedicated to finding the causes of MS and a cure for the disease. In 1999, the Rocky Mountain MS Center began to collect information about complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), and now provide state-of-the-art information on MS and CAM. They offer what seems to be a unique approach to research, using technology to survey large numbers of people living with MS on the effectiveness and safety of various interventions used to treat MS.

A survey carried out by the center reported the results collected from more than 1000 MS patients. It was not a controlled study, but nevertheless seemed to show promising results for the treatment of MS symptoms with acupuncture. About 20% of the respondents had used acupuncture since their initial diagnosis, and about two thirds of those reported an improvement in the symptoms of pain and anxiety. Other symptoms that were reported as improved by between 50% and 60% of respondents were fatigue, depression, muscle stiffness, numbness and insomnia. Only 4% of patients noticed a worsening of any pre-existing MS symptoms with acupuncture.

Tags: multiple sclerosis

This Mother’s Day, Paola, one of our massage therapists is running a special offer on her natural face lift massages. It’s a wonderful gift to give to your mother as a way to show your appreciation for everything that mums do. And the best bit… if you buy your mum a natural facelift for Mother’s Day, you can get one yourself for free!

Why not check out Paola’s article on how to look more youthful and refreshed in just one hour? Try her massage and we guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

Tags: natural facelift

In yesterday’s post on how acupuncture can help you to stop smoking, we talked about how 2 or 3 shorter acupuncture treatments per week were more effective than 1 longer treatment per week during those first 3 weeks when the cravings are at their worst.

Before someone gets to that stage though, it is important for them to think about their mindset and whether they really do want to give up smoking. When patients first come in, one of the first things we ask is whether they really do want to give up. It sounds silly to ask this question seeing as that is why they said they have come in, but it is important to check this commitment to change.

Sometimes people feel that they ought to give up smoking, or maybe their partner is always on at them to quit, but when it comes down to it they still really enjoy having that cigarette after meals, or having a smoke when they drink, or sharing a smoking break with colleagues from the office…

If this is the case, it is unlikely that the treatment will be successful, and indeed it is unlikely that any treatment would be successful (e.g. hypnosis, patches etc). Acupuncture cannot make someone change their mind if mentally they are not ready to quit.

On the other hand, if someone is really ready to quit smoking but is just having trouble breaking the physical cravings then acupuncture can be a very powerful agent for change. Acupuncture (and especially ear acupuncture) causes a release of endorphins in the brain. These are the body’s pleasure chemicals and help to suppress the craving for cigarettes. They are also the reason why many people feel so relaxed after an acupuncture treatment. So, if someone is mentally ready to quit cigarettes for good but can’t quite beat those physical cravings then acupuncture could be just the thing.

Tags: mental state, smoking