Stomachache
Stomachache
After leftover pizza for breakfast, tacos for lunch and Cajun-style chicken for dinner, it’s no wonder there’s a brawl going on inside your belly.
Eating too much too quickly and consuming lots of rich, spicy or fatty foods are common causes of stomachaches. But the heartburn, cramping, nausea, flatulence and other symptoms typically associated with an upset tummy could also be caused by excessive stress, an irregular eating schedule, food poisoning or a flu bug. If the ache persists or recurs, it could be sign of appendicitis, an ulcer or gallstones, so see your doctor. The natural remedies in this chapter, used with your doctor’s approval, may help ease a stomachache, according to some health professionals.
See Your Medical Doctor When...
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Acupressure
Press both Sp 16 points, situated below the edge of the rib cage, a half-inch in from each nipple line, says Michael Reed Gach, Ph.D., director of the Acupressure Institute in Berkeley, California, and author of Acupressure’s Potent Points. (For help in locating these points, refer to the illustration on page 564.) “These are instinctual spots to press,” Dr. Gach explains. “You’re pressing these points when you bend over and hold your stomach.” He suggests holding the points for one minute while breathing deeply.
Aromatherapy
The essential oil peppermint is great for easing gastric discomfort, says Los Angeles aromatherapist Michael Scholes, of Aromatherapy Seminars, an organization that trains professionals and others in the use of essential oils. “Peppermint oil was used for years to flavor after-dinner mints, because it’s a very effective digestive,” says Scholes. But, he cautions, most of today’s peppermint candies do not contain the essential oil and probably wouldn’t help your stomachache. He suggests sucking on a sugar cube flavored with a single drop of peppermint oil whenever your stomach feels a bit queasy.
For information on preparing and administering essential oils, including cautions about their use, see page 19. For information on purchasing essential oils, refer to the resource list on page 633.
Flower Remedy/Essence Therapy
“People who get stomachaches respond really well to Crab Apple, which is a cleansing remedy,” says Eve Campanelli, Ph.D., a holistic family practitioner in Beverly Hills, California. “It works especially well on stomachaches caused by bad food or a parasitic or yeast overload.”
Flower remedies are available in some health food stores and through mail order (refer to the resource list on page 635). For information on preparing and administering flower remedies, see page 37.
Food Therapy
“Cut a piece of ginger and suck on it,” advises Allan Magaziner, D.O., a nutritional medicine specialist and head of the Magaziner Medical Center in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. He says that ginger helps calm activity in the stomach. A cup of ginger tea can also help, he adds. ginger tea is available in tea bag form in most health food stores.
Herbal Therapy
Peppermint and chamomile are two traditional herbal remedies for stomachache, according to Mary Bove, L.M., N.D., a naturopathic physician and director of the Brattleboro Naturopathic Clinic in Vermont. She says both work gently to soothe an upset stomach, stop stomach spasms and reduce gas. She recommends that you drink three to four cups of peppermint or chamomile tea daily to treat minor digestive problems. You can also sip a cup of either of these teas after meals to aid digestion, she adds. Peppermint and chamomile teas are available in tea bag form in most health food stores.
Hydrotherapy
“I don’t believe there is a gastric problem that doesn’t respond to activated charcoal,” says Agatha Thrash, M.D., a medical pathologist and co-founder and co-director of Uchee Pines Institute, a natural healing center in Seale, Alabama. For quick relief of stomachache, mix two to three tablespoons of activated charcoal powder (available in most health food stores and some pharmacies) with a little water in the bottom of a tall glass. “Stir gently, or the powder flies everywhere,” she says. Continue stirring and adding water a little at a time until the glass is full, then drink it with a straw.
Imagery
Imagery can be a powerful weapon against stomachache, according to Barbara Dossey, R.N., director of Holistic Nursing Consultants in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and co-author of Rituals of Healing: Using Imagery for Health and Wellness. Picture a bright light that is powerful and penetrating glowing within you. Now picture a beam that has a soft, healing color spreading from this light. Allow this beam’s healing color to fill your stomach with calm and quiet. Now imagine the color slowly flowing out of your stomach and into your small intestine like a tiny sailboat riding on smooth waves. Follow it down through your large intestine and into your rectum, gently healing and soothing your digestive tract as it goes. Dossey recommends that you use this imagery for 15 to 20 minutes twice a day.
Juice Therapy
In The Complete Book of Juicing, naturopathic physician Michael Murray, N.D., suggests an apple juice cocktail flavored with ginger, mint and fennel. All three are potent carminatives, natural substances that help dispel gas and facilitate digestion, according to Dr. Murray. To prepare, juice a ¼-inch-thick slice of fresh ginger wrapped in half of a handful of mint leaves, followed by half of a small fennel bulb and two sliced apples.
For information on juicing techniques, see page 93.