• Medical Herbalism
• Homœopathy
• Hypnotherapy & Psychotherapy
• Acupuncture

Medical Herbalism & Diarrhoea

There are several herbs that have been shown to help diarrhoea including Slippery Elm and Psyllium seed (1). The Psyllium (otherwise known as Isapaghula or flea seed) is a soft bulking agent which, like other dietary fibre, absorbs excess fluid. What makes Psyllium particularly beneficial in Crohn's disease and colitis is that it is a soft fibre as opposed to the hard, rough fibre in bran.

Medical Herbalists will take account of other factors and will prescribe for them accordingly. Anti-inflammatory herbs such as meadow sweet and comfrey may be prescribed in cases of colitis and crohn's disease along with nervines and calmatives such as lady's slipper, valerian root, skullcap and chamomile, if stress is a related factor.(2)

(1) Dr RF Weiss Herbal Medicine p.114
(2) Nalda Gosling Successful Herbal Remedies (Thorsons) p.45

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Homœopathy & Diarrhoea

Childhood diarrhoea: - A study reported in Pediatrics revealed that homœopathic medicines can considerably speed the recovery of children suffering from diarrhoea. Jennifer Jacobs MD conducted a double-blind study of 81 children with diarrhoea. The children were prescribed homœopathic remedies suited to the needs including Arsenicum Album, Chamomilla, Mercurius vivus, Podophyllum and Sulphur and compared to a control group. The children receiving the homœopathic remedies improved significantly faster than the placebo group and proved once again that homœopathic medicines offer an effective treatment for many health problems.

Jennifer Jacobs MD, Pediatrics 93:719, May 1994

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Hypnotherapy & Psychotherapy & Diarrhoea

A controlled study in Europe involving 266 patients found that psychotherapy can improve the therapeutic possibilities of drugs, diet and surgery. Psychotherapy combined with relaxation and removal of stress were considered along with the personality of the patient before the outbreak of chronic diseases related to diarrhoea such as crohn's disease and colitis. It was suggested that unknown emotional conflicts such as depression, mental lability and anorexia may influence the course of these diseases(1).

(1) Psychotherapy of Crohn disease Zur Psychotherapie des M. Crohn. Feiereis H Langenbecks Arch Chir 1984, 364 p407-11

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Acupuncture & Diarrhoea

Acupuncture has traditionally been successfully employed in China to treat most illnesses. There is little doubt that acupuncture is an excellent therapy for people suffering with this condition; in 1979 the World Health organisation listed 40 major diseases that could find relief by acupuncture treatment and diseases of the intestinal tract were included in that number. (1)

This is not surprising since acupuncture works through the nervous system and energy channels in the body and has also been shown to cause the brain to release endorphines and encephalins (natural pain killers), boost the immune system and calm the nervous system. It has also been established that all psycho-physiological health problems (of which diarrhoea is an associated symptom) are particularly suitable for acupuncture treatment (2)

(1) Dr S Fulder- The Handbook of Complemnetary Medicine (Coronet books)
(2)Mann F The Treatment of disease by acupuncture. Part 1 & 2 (Heinnemann Medical Books)

Acupuncture treatment of diarrhoea in children has been compared to drug therapy at the Qingchun Hospital, Zhejiang, China. Patients were randomly assigned to one of three groups: the first to receive acupuncture in the form of shallow needling to points on the forehead, the second to receive acupuncture in the form of shallow needling to points on the body, and the third group were to receive drugs (Liteling, Berberine, Gentamycin, Ampicillin, and SMZ Co).

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