Acupuncture Can Be Used as a Treatment for Mouth Ulcers

A common symptom of digestive diseases such as Reiter’s syndrome, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn’s disease is mouth ulcer. Mouth ulcers can also develop from various factors such as post radiation therapy, oral thrush, and use of antibiotics. Herpes infection can also cause mouth ulcers. A lot of patients suffer from recurrent mouth ulcers stemming from unknown reasons. Western conventional medicine answers this problem through the use of various topical painkillers and antiseptic washes. These remedies are designed to merely mask the symptoms; acupuncture for mouth ulcers, on the other hand, treats the symptoms and resolves the underlying reason of the problem.

Does Acupuncture Treatment for Mouth Sores Involve Inserting Needles in the Mouth or Lips?

No. The energy channels (also known in Chinese medicine as meridians) travel all over the body including the four limbs and enwrap every part of the body, including the tongue and gums. The acupuncture points chosen for treatment are usually located far away from the mouth such as those located near the web of the toes. The meridians targeted for the treatment of mouth ulcers are those associated with the heart, large intestine and the abdomen systems.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioners in Edina believe that the tongue has a relationship with the heart and that the mouth is the gateway to the abdomen. Also, the energy channel of the large intestine radiates to the gums. And so if you eat the improper types of food, toxins and heat buildup in the abdomen. This can cause the development of ulcers forming in the mouth. If the bowels are not properly eliminated due to constipation or any other reason, it can also cause a buildup of toxins that lead to mouth ulcers.

Anxiety and other forms of emotional stress can lead to the rise of ulcers in the mouth.

A thorough review of ancient Chinese acupuncture documents will reveal several references to certain acupoints and why they are used to treat mouth ulcers. To easily understand this, imagine an energy channel traveling from the mouth and down to the tip of the little finger. If the mouth suffers from excess heat causing mouth ulcers, an acupoint remote from the mouth and related to the heart energy channel located proximate to the wrist is chosen for treatment. The needling of this acupoint causes the buildup of steam and heat in the mouth to escape allowing the ulcer to disappear.

According to TCM, mouth ulcers can have several causes. To determine the exact cause, a comprehensive examination and diagnosis need to be done during the initial consultation with your acupuncturist.