Are you planning to have your gallbladder removed or have you recently undergone gallbladder removal surgery? If so, are you still experiencing pain? Even though gallbladder removal is one of the most common surgical procedures, it often does not resolve symptoms such as abdominal pain, vomiting, and gastrointestinal issues like dyspepsia or loose stools. When these symptoms persist after gallbladder removal, the condition is known as post-cholecystectomy syndrome.

A cohort study of 272 patients conducted over 13 years revealed that 19.8% of patients—or nearly 1 in 5—suffered from post-cholecystectomy syndrome¹.

Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can offer effective solutions to help you recover from surgery, address any post-surgical complications, and improve your overall health and well-being.

Improve Recovery Time Post Gallbladder Removal

Acupuncture has been shown in numerous trials and studies to effectively alleviate postoperative nausea and vomiting². A meta-analysis and systematic review of acupuncture for post-cholecystectomy syndrome found that integrating acupuncture with conventional medical treatment significantly reduced postoperative nausea and vomiting³. The same study also concluded that combining acupuncture with conventional medical treatment significantly improved the recovery of gastrointestinal function.

Chinese Herbal Medicine for Gallbladder Removal

A study demonstrated that 98.1% of patients who used Chinese herbal medicine after their gallbladder removal experienced improvement in their symptoms, compared to 85.4% of patients who used pharmaceutical medication⁴.

One of the strengths of Chinese herbal medicine is its adaptability. Formulations can be tailored to meet the unique needs of each patient and adjusted throughout the recovery process to address changing symptoms.

Acupuncture for Dyspepsia

Dyspepsia, or indigestion, is a common complaint after gallbladder removal. A systematic review of eight studies found that acupuncture significantly improved dyspeptic symptoms and quality of life. All eight studies reported reduced dyspeptic symptom scores following acupuncture treatment⁵.

Acupuncture for Gallbladder Issues and General Wellness

If you have tried other treatments without success, why not explore acupuncture? Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can address your gallbladder-related issues while also enhancing your overall health. These treatments may help improve mood, sleep, energy levels, immunity, digestion, and pain management, as well as promote relaxation.

Take the next step in your recovery journey and discover how acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can help you feel your best—inside and out!

Sources:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7243644/ Shirah BH, Shirah HA, Zafar SH, Albeladi KB. Clinical patterns of postcholecystectomy syndrome. Ann Hepatobiliary Pancreat Surg. 2018;22(1):52-57. doi:10.14701/ahbps.2018.22.1.52
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5845611/ Streitberger K, Ezzo J, Schneider A. Acupuncture for nausea and vomiting: an update of clinical and experimental studies. Auton Neurosci. 2006;129(1-2):107-117. doi:10.1016/j.autneu.2006.07.015
3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16950659/#:~:text=For%20postoperative%20nausea%20and%20vomiting,for%20both%20nausea%20and%20vomiting. Yin Z, Xiao Q, Xu G, et al. Acupuncture for the Postcholecystectomy Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2020;2020:7509481. Published 2020 Jul 30. doi:10.1155/2020/7509481
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7414376/ Sheng YX et al. Therapeutic Observation of Acupuncture plus Chinese Medication for Postcholecystectomy Syndrome [J]. Shanghai Journal of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, 2016, 35(3):291–293.
5. https://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/1743-acupuncture-herbs-provide-relief-after-gallbladder-surgery Guo Y, Wei W, Chen JD. Effects and mechanisms of acupuncture and electroacupuncture for functional dyspepsia: A systematic review. World J Gastroenterol. 2020;26(19):2440-2457. doi:10.3748/wjg.v26.i19.2440

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