G: GERD (Acid Reflux)
Patient came in presenting with acid reflux that had been a daily hindrance for at least three months. The reflux was almost constant throughout the day, but was especially painful at night or when lying down. The patient felt the pain from his upper abdomen and into the back of his throat. He rated the pain as a moderate to severe level. He said that he would often feel the acid rise up into his throat and become painful and uncomfortable. He also had an issue with occasional vomiting from the severity of the reflux.
From an objective point of view, the patient was very restless, belched frequently and seemed very uncomfortable with each belch. His breath smelled very acidic. He also had extremely congested sinuses.
The goal of his acupuncture treatment was to soothe and calm the Kidney and Stomach channels.
The patient was advised to come in twice a week for acupuncture. He was also advised to start an elimination diet to rule out if there was a food intolerance or sensitivity. We asked him to try and meditate or exercise a few times a week to help with any stress in his life. After the 10th treatment, the patient rated his reflux as mild to moderate. He had discovered that chocolate, dairy and caffeine seemed to make his reflux worse, along with extra stress.
We advised the patient to continue with twice a week until he was at a mild level. We also asked him to chart his diet, exercise and to manage stress levels, with his reflux episodes daily. By the 14th treatment, he was at a mild level and was able to continue with preventative care and continued to come in once to twice a month for maintenance.