Acupuncture for the Treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Background:Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a disorder characterized by lower abdominal pain or discomfort, diarrhea, constipation (or alternating diarrhea/constipation), gas, and bloating.

Objective:To describe the treatment of IBS from the viewpoint of a gastroenterologist/acupuncturist.

Design, Setting, and Patients: Over the past 5 years, 149 patients were diagnosed as having IBS following the Rome II criteria. An additional 35 patients presented with persistent (