Massage Acupuncture, Moxibustion, and Other Forms of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Complementary and alternative medicine is frequently used by patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD); the most common are massage, acupuncture, and moxibustion therapy. Massage therapy is poorly studied in patients with IBD; therefore, its benefits remain unknown. Acupuncture and moxibustion therapy have been shown to improve inflammation and symptoms in animal and human studies. However, current clinical trials of acupuncture and moxibustion are of insufficient quality to recommend them as alternative therapy. Nonetheless, because these therapies seem generally to be safe, they may have a role as complementary to conventional therapy.