Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic condition affecting between 10-15% of the population (Grundmann & Yoon, 2010) with multifaceted possible causes in both western medicine (WM) and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It is not considered life threatening yet, as it is chronic and episodic, it impacts on health-related quality of life (Holloway, 2010; Ruepert et al., 2011). IBS is characterised by abdominal pain, bloating and altered bowel dysfunction resulting in diarrhoea or constipation (Snyder, 2012) and in significant impairments of functional status, higher levels of disability and increased frequency of physician visits (Zijdenbos, de Wit Niek, van der Heijden Geert, Rubin, & Quartero, 2011). Acupuncture was considered significantly more … Continue reading Irritable Bowel Syndrome