Is there any benefit to acupuncture for ulcerative colitis?

Jay

The exact cause of ulcerative colitis is unknown, but the condition appears to stem from a overactive immune response aimed at the colon. Not surprisingly, the standard therapy for ulcerative colitis involves anti-inflammatory medications to reduce this overactive immune response. These medications, which are used in various combinations, include steroids, mesalamine, antibiotics, mercaptopurine and cyclosporine. Such therapy helps most patients, at least in the short term.

However, certain patients with ulcerative colitis have disease that is either not controlled with medications, or that requires such high doses of steroids that side effects become a problem. In these cases, surgery is recommended to remove the colon and rectum and construct a new rectum using the last portion of the small intestine. This operation essentially "cures" ulcerative colitis because the inflammatory activity of the disease affects only the colon and rectum. Surgery may also be necessary in some patients whose ulcerative colitis is controlled by medications. Such patients include those who are found to have precancerous changes in their colon (dysplasia).

To answer your question, many alternative treatments for ulcerative colitis have been examined in the last few years. These include special diets, fish oils, fatty acids, herbal medicines and acupuncture. In most of these cases, the scientific evidence to support the new therapy is either weak, or there are other side effects or problems in administrating the therapy that make it impractical to use.

In the case of acupuncture, the studies that have been done using this therapy have looked at certain symptoms or stages of the disease that are unfamiliar to practitioners of standard Western medicine. Thus, the results of these studies cannot be adequately interpreted or analyzed. For now, I believe that ulcerative colitis should be managed by a gastroenterologist with close follow-up to make important treatment decisions.