As an acupuncture practitioner in Portland, I see a lot of clients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or IBS, which is  a functional bowel disorder characterized by abdominal pain, discomfort, bloating, gas, with alternating diarrhea and constipation, in the absence of any detectable cause. As a general rule, gastro-intestinal disorders respond well to acupuncture and moxibustion treatments. In addition, I advise my clients follow specific dietary guidelines:

1) General Dietary Guidelines

-    Eat only when you are genuinely hungry.  This is when your digestive fire is at its peak.

-    Eat slowly and chew your food well. This simple rule will greatly enhance your digestive ability.

-    Stop eating before you are completely full. There is a 15-minute lag between the time we eat something and the time the brain registers the sensation of fullness.

-    During meals, limit fluids to 4 to 6 ounces or warm or room temperature liquid.  Avoid iced drinks. During a meal, too much water, and cold water in particular, will impair the body’s digestive ability.

-    Favor cooked vegetables over cold or raw vegetables. With rare exception, it’s difficult for the body to completely digest raw vegetables.  The result is that undigested food passes into the colon where it creates toxins which further impair the digestion.

-    Between meals, drink plenty of pure, warm or room temperature water on an empty stomach. As a general guideline, divide your weight in pounds by 2. The result of this equation is the number of ounces of water you need to drink every day.  Juice, green and herbal teas can be included in this amount.

-    Certain foods are very concentrated and must be used with caution in order to avoid creating an imbalance in the body. Meat, fats, egg yokes, sugar, salt, honey and molasses, are all extremely concentrated and should be taken in small quantities as a compliment to the meal, and not as a main course.

-    Certain foods are so extreme in their nature that eating even a small portion can aggravate an imbalance for many people. Candies (and especially chocolate), soft drinks, desserts, ice cream and frozen yogurt are examples of foods that are extremely damp or cold in nature. Alcohol, coffee, fried foods, broiled foods or foods that are greasy, hot or spicy are examples of foods that are extremely hot in nature. Carbonated beverages create imbalance due to excessive air quality. Try to eliminate these foods from your diet or at least limit them to small portions once or twice a week.

-    Some foods are toxic due to over cooking, over processing, age or chemical contamination. For example, burned meats or oils are toxic due to the chemical changes that occur when fats are exposed to high temperature. Likewise, fast foods, highly processed foods (such as margarine or processed meats) or spoiled foods should be avoided for the same reason. The artificial sweeteners Nutra-Sweet, Canderel and Amino-Sweet contain the chemical Aspartame which is a neurotoxin. Likewise, foods that contain MSG are toxic for many people. Finally, foods that contain high fructose corn syrup are linked to diabetes and obesity.

2) Take the amino acid L-Glutamine – 1000 mg on an empty stomach upon rising.

3) Certain pro-biotics have proven to dramatically reduce IBS symptoms. Unfortunately, the pro-biotic industry is focused almost exclusively on various strains of acidophilus, which do little to alleviate IBS. However, certain bifidobacteria are very helpful.  My suggestion is to drink one cup of organic, unsweetened, goat milk kefir, every morning on an empty stomach, about 30 minutes before eating. Alternatively, bifidobacteria supplements can be obtained in powder or capsule form Natren under the brand names Life Start and Bifido Factor. Go to: www.natren.com

4) It’s best to avoid coffee, chocolate, raw vegetables, nuts and seeds (unless ground) and carbonated beverages.

Thank you for visiting my blog. If you have questions about acupuncture and shiatsu, or if you have a specific health concern, please contact me at:

Bart Walton, L.Ac.
Licensed Acupuncture & Shiatsu
Portland, Oregon
503/939-5805

Most people who come to my acupuncture clinic in Portland, are expecting to be treated with needles. Most people don’t realize that there are several non-needle techniques, which are frequently used in Japanese acupuncture. In fact, a Japanese style acupuncturist will sometimes do a complete treatment without using a single needle.

One of the most common of these “non-needle” techniques is moxibustion, a form of heat therapy in which the dried herb Mugwort (artemisia vulgaris), is burned on, or near, the skin in order to stimulate and warm specific points and to trigger a number of healing reactions. Moxibustion is at least as old as acupuncture, with records of the practice dating back many centuries B.C. Although it may sound painful, moxibustion actually feels very comfortable for most patients and the therapeutic effects are significant.

Japanese scientists have found that stimulation from moxibustion, at specific points, can dramatically boost the body’s immunity and trigger other profound healing effects. In clinical practice, we find that moxibustion is effective for painful or stiff muscles and joints, arthritis and certain auto-immune disorders. In addition, I have found that moxibustion lifts the spirits and is very effective for many types of depression or fatigue.

Another important tool of the acupuncturist is cupping: the application of suction or vacuum cups to the surface of the body. Like moxibustion, cupping goes back thousands of years.  Cups are small glass bowls (1″ to 3″ in diameter) which are applied to the body with vacuum suction.  The vacuum is created either by means of heating the air inside the cup or by mechanical pump.  The suction from the cup causes the blood to gather at a particular site near the surface of the body, thus affecting circulation.

Nothing helps to relax stiff and tight muscles faster and more deeply than cupping. Also, cupping influences the function of the internal organs and is indicated for a wide array of digestive or gynecological problems which are caused by blood stagnation. For example, if a patient is suffering from congestion in the lungs or abdominal cramps, cupping will bring almost immediate relief.

Finally, shiatsu is perhaps the most common non-needle technique used my acupuncturists. Many people think shiatsu is a form of massage, but actually it’s quite different. Shiatsu consists of rhythmic, single point pressure applied with the hands and fingers, along the traditional “Qi” energy meridians of the body. Shiatsu is simple, safe, non-invasive and at the same time, very helpful in the treatment of many common disorders of our modern society.

Based on research in Japan, it has been documented that shiatsu helps to calm the sympathetic nervous system and improve the function of the muscles, nerves, blood vessels, lymph nodes, endocrine glands and internal organs. In addition, it has been shown that shiatsu assists the body in eliminating toxins and metabolic waste.

So, for readers who might be attracted to acupuncture but are nervous about needles, moxibustion and cupping are some of the alternative methods that an acupuncturist might use. And who knows?  After you experience some of the benefits of these ancient techniques, you may want to try the needles.

Thank you for visiting my blog. If you have questions about acupuncture and shiatsu, or if you have a specific health concern, please contact me at:

Bart Walton, L.Ac.
Licensed Acupuncture & Shiatsu
Portland, Oregon
503/939-5805

Indirect Moxibustion

Although not well known in the west, the art of moxibustion plays an important role in traditional medicine of Japan. Moxibustion is a form of heat therapy in which the dried herb “mugwort” (artemisia vulgaris) is burned near the surface of the skin in order to stimulate specific acupuncture points and to trigger natural healing responses in the body. The use of moxibustion is at least as old as acupuncture, with records of the practice dating back many centuries B.C. In China and Japan, the word (or characters) for acupuncture actually includes the word for moxibustion, thus illustrating how closely linked are these two modalities.  According to the classical texts, moxibustion and acupuncture are complimentary, each one enhancing the effects of the other.

The mugwort plant grows wild here in the Northwest and is often seen as an ornamental plant in front yards. The herb is considered “Yang” in Chinese medicine and as such, it is both warming and moving.  When the dried leaves are ground and sifted, a fine wool is produced (commonly referred to as “moxa”) which can easily be rolled into various shapes for burning.  The most common shapes are cones and sticks.

In Japan, scientists have studied moxibustion under laboratory conditions and have found that the infrared radiation from burning moxibustion is almost exactly the same wavelength as the infrared radiation in the human body.  And, the warming qualities of the dried mugwort itself enhances the warming effects of the combustion.  The result is that the heat from moxibustion penetrates deeply into the body, giving both an immediate warming effect and a continuing warming effect, which lasts for several days after the treatment.

From a western medical perspective, we know that when we sustain a significant burn, all the biological systems of the body join together in a defensive response to protect the body from further damage and begin production of new blood and tissues.  Over two thousand years ago, the physician sages of China discovered that many of these profound healing reactions will occur even if the body sustains only a very small burn.

The very idea of burning the skin to produce a beneficial effect seems primitive and outrageous to most people in the West. But let’s put the concept into perspective. First, we are talking about a very mild burn, about as severe as a sunburn. Second, we are talking about very small areas of the skin, no larger than 2 – 4 millimeters in diameter. Japanese scientists have found that a small and mild burn from moxibustion, at specific points, can dramatically boost the body’s immunity and trigger a cascade of profound healing effects. These effects include a significant increase in white blood cell production, an increase in platelet count, a reduction in blood coagulation time, increased activity of the adrenal glands and many other biochemical reactions that assist the body in healing.

In traditional Asian medicine, moxibustion is indicated for any condition of pain, low energy or obstruction, where coldness or stagnation is a primary causative factor. Likewise, moxibustion is used for cases of blood deficiency or blood stagnation, since it is considered to move blood and stimulate blood production.

As an acupuncturist in Portland, I have found that moxibustion lifts the spirits and is very effective for many types of mild depression or fatigue. And for stiff or painful muscles and joints, acupuncture combined with moxibustion is one of the best treatments available.

Moxibustion is a powerful form of therapy which, when applied correctly, can stimulate the body’s own healing potential. If you are interested in the ancient medicine of Asia, you may want to receive a treatment in order to experience for yourself the wonderful healing effects of moxibustion. Moxibustion is also an effective and inexpensive home therapy, which is easy to learn from any licensed acupuncturist who has studied Japanese moxibustion therapy.

Thank you for visiting my blog. If you have questions about acupuncture and shiatsu, or if you have a specific health concern, please contact me at:

Bart Walton, L.Ac.
Licensed Acupuncture & Shiatsu
Portland, Oregon
503/939-5805

As an acupuncture and shiatsu practitioner in Portland, one question I am frequently asked is, “How does Japanese acupuncture differ from Chinese style?” The short answer is that they both share the same theoretical basis but they differ in their technique and application. The long answer could fill several volumes. But here are a few of the more basic differences.

In Japanese style acupuncture, we believe that the body’s most responsive “Qi” lies on, or just beneath, the skin surface. From this perspective, it is unnecessary to needle deeply or to produce a strong needle sensation. Also, in Japanese acupuncture thinner needles and fewer needles are used in a typical treatment. In short, Japanese style follows the premise that “less is more”. It is only necessary to offer a gentle reminder and the body’s own healing abilities will do the rest.

Another difference between Japanese and Chinese acupuncture involves the use of several other modalities such as moxibustion, shiatsu (acupressure massage), cupping, intradermal needles and ear seeds. While traditional Chinese acupuncture may include these modalities, they typically do not hold the same importance in day-to-day practice as they do in Japanese style treatment. In Japan, for instance, it’s commonly held that moxibustion and shiatsu share a synergistic relationship with acupuncture. Typically, one or both are included, along with acupuncture, in almost every treatment.

Another unique feature of Japanese style is the tradition of treating both the front and the back side of the body in the same treatment. In Japan, it is widely considered that both the yin and the yang sides of the body should be addressed in a complete treatment.

In Japanese style acupuncture, we apply “direct” moxibustion, by means of small “rice grain” size cones of mugwart (Artemisia Vulgaris). Traditionally, these small cones are burned directly on the skin and the heat is controlled with a bamboo tube. In Chinese style acupuncture, moxibustion is not as common and when it is used, it is applied as “indirect” moxibustion, by means of a moxa stick which is lit and held close to the skin.

Another modality which is very popular in Japanese style is the use of intradermal needles. These are small (almost microscopic) sterile needles which are inserted horozontally about 0.5mm – 1.0mm beneath the skin. A piece of tape is then placed over the needle and it is worn continuously for 2 or 3 days. Likewise, ear seeds are small grains, about 0.5mm in diameter, which are taped on specific acupuncture points in the ear in order to gently stimulate the points for a day or two.

These are just a few of the more basic differences between Chinese and Japanese acupuncture. If you are seeking a therapy in order to stimulate the body’s own healing potential, without harmful side effects, both styles are excellent. To learn more about Japanese style acupuncture and shiatsu in Portland, please visit my main web site, Japanese Acupuncture and Shiatsu.

Thank you for visiting my blog. If you have questions about acupuncture and shiatsu, or if you have a specific health concern, please contact me at:

Bart Walton, L.Ac.
Licensed Acupuncture & Shiatsu
Portland, Oregon
503/939-5805