Causes of Diverticulitis Based on TCM:
Chinese medicine says that where there is blockage of energy flow, there is pain. When there is a fixed location of a pain, there will also be inhibited blood circulation in that area. Chinese medicine physician believes that blood blockage is the major contributing factor in all aging diseases and diverticulitis is no exception. In particular, when the micro circulation of blood vessels in the intestines becomes inhibited, a sharp stabbing like pain can arise. The other major factor to take into account with aging, is that according to Chinese medicine, the spleen can become weak. Chinese medicine says that if the spleen can’t function properly impurities can sink down and accumulate in the lower part of the body.

Causes of Diverticulitis in Western Medicine:
Although not proven, the dominant theory is that a low-fiber diet causes diverticulitis. The disease was first noticed in the United States in the early 1900s, around the time processed foods were introduced into the American diet. Consumption of processed foods greatly reduced Americans’ fiber intake. Diverticular disease is common in developed or industrialized countries-particularly the United States, England, and Australia-where low-fiber diets are consumed. The disease is rare in Asia and Africa, where most people eat high-fiber diets.

Fiber is the part of fruits, vegetables, and grains that the body cannot digest. Some fiber, called soluble fiber, dissolves easily in water. It takes on a soft, jelly-like texture in the intestines. Insoluble fiber passes almost unchanged through the intestines. Both kinds of fiber help prevent constipation by making stools soft and easy to pass.

Constipation-or hard stool-may cause people to strain when passing stool during a bowel movement. Straining may cause increased pressure in the colon, which may cause the colon lining to bulge out through weak spots in the colon wall. These bulges are diverticula. Lack of exercise also may be associated with a greater risk of forming diverticula, although the reasons for this are not well understood.