TCM Treatment Evaluation for Diabetes
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treats Colitis and Crohn's with an arsenal of herbs and methods popularized by the great master Li Dong Yuan in the 13th century. Master Li was a pre-eminent gastroenterologist who developed complex herbal combinations to address the many factors and symptoms of bowel diseases. One of these combinations, JIAN PI LING ("Effective Remedy for Digestion"), still forms the basis of many practitioners' treatments.

In order to shed some light on how TCM treatments work, and why they work so well, it is useful to deconstruct and analyze the above formula. There are 13 herbs in the composition, grouped by their effect, as follows:

1. Aucklandia root, Corydalis root
These herbs normalize the movement of energy in the abdominal area. Pain, spasms and excessive urges to defecate indicate the Qi is moving in fits and starts, erratically, instead of the normal and predictable peristalsis of the intestines. The aromatic and acrid flavours of these herbs denote powerful natural chemicals which are able to regulate this process.

2. Ume plums, Catechu resin
These sour and astringent substances are used to restore and heal the mucosal linings of the GI tract, and close non-healing sores. Ume plum has powerful anti-allergic properties. Even if the person did not start out with food allergies, the chronic inflammation begins to impair absorption and assimilation, and many foods can become irritants.

3. Coptis root, Pulsatilla root
These are very bitter, strongly detoxifying and drying herbs, necessary when there is a great deal of mucous, foul and burning stool and fever or infection. They have a broad antibacterial and anti-inflammatory action, and are generally used for a short time to subdue a severe and acute flare of symptoms.

4. Astragalus root, Codonopsis root (a type of ginseng) and Atractylodis root.
These three herbs are tonics to the digestive organs, which means they strongly strengthen their function. This is indicated by the symptom of chronic, severe and recurrent diarrhea, which is both a sign of digestive weakness as well as a cause of it worsening, as precious "Qi" is lost by the excessive draining of the bowels. Codonopsis, like all ginsengs, has a very strong affinity for the digestive organs, and is slightly warming in its effect. Astragalus, which many have heard of in its capacity as a great immune system enhancer, also has a very specific function of "lifting" the body's energy. In the case of chronic diarrhea, especially accompanied by fatigue, this is a priceless function.

5. Angelica/Dang gui root and White paeony root
These ingredients are blood tonics, which are of great importance in cases with bleeding ulcerations, when anemia becomes a real possibility. Additionally, Peony root has a strong anti-cramping and anti-diarrhea action.