Acupuncture for Acid Reflux Disease (GERD)

Acid Reflux Disease or usually called as GERD (Gastroesophageal reflux disease) is a disorder that happen at the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), which is the ring of muscle somewhere between stomach and esophagus 1 Because of this disorder, stomach acid or, occasionally, stomach content, flows back into your food pipe (esophagus). This disorder is considered to be a chronic disorder. 2 GERD has many symptoms, including burp, acid taste in your mouth or heartburn. 3 Other common symptoms of GERD are pain in your chest after you eat fried food, or taste of acid in your mouth after big meal. 4 What causes GERD is the same question with what causes a heartburn. The main cause of this heartburn is continous exposure of stomach juice to the lining of the esophagus. 5 Another important cause of GERD would be a hiatal hernia, which is a condition when the upper part of the stomach move up into your chest. 6 Acupuncture treat GERD using needles equipped with electrical current will strengthen the LES, which in turn will promote acid backflow. 7 This treatment will pinpoint the 5 acupuncture points. If needed, the sixth point will also be targeted. 8 CV12 LI18 SP17 ST11 1 Heartburn/GERD Health Center, WebMD http://www.webmd.com/heartburn- 2 GERD, Mayo Clinic http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases- 3 Recognize the Symptoms of GERD, HealthLine http://www.healthline.com/health/gerd/symptoms 4 Symptoms and Causes of GER and GERD, National https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health- 5 Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), American http://www.aaaai.org/conditions-and- 6 Acid Reflux, American College of gastroenterology http://patients.gi.org/topics/acid-reflux/ 7 Magnet Therapy, Acupuncture, and Other CAM http://www.healthline.com/health/gerd/alternative- 8 Another Acupuncture Study – On Heartburn, https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/another-