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If you are a female IBS person, you have probably heard all the usual explanations: stress, diet, hormones, and gut bacteria. But what if there is another way to understand what is happening in your body, a way that helps you understand IBS in a deeper sense?
Through the lens of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), energy and energy flow matter just as much as biology and chemistry. At the heart of this perspective is the idea of Qi: your body’s vital energy. In this post, we will explore how Qi influences digestive health and why understanding it could be the key to better self-managing (or even self-healing) your IBS.
The Connection between Qi and IBS
What is Qi (the Qi factor)? In a way, it is the vital energy flowing within our bodies. How vital is it? There are three functions that makes it vital: nourishing and maintaining organs and tissues, and facilitating metabolic processes in our bodies.
Qi explained: from exercise glow to gut health
If you think the idea of Qi is mysterious, you are not alone. However, you may think of it this way: Qi is your body’s energy, an energy that can be felt. After a good jog or workout, when your body feels awake, warm, and alive, that is your Qi flowing strong within your body.
Most important of all, Qi affects almost everything about our health. When it flows smoothly, we tend to feel strong and balanced. But when it is blocked or weak, problems like IBS, infections, hormonal changes, or immune issues can appear (knowledge by Dr Liu, a renowned traditional Chinese medicine practitioner and Qi expert).
But before we move on, let’s get a better picture on two important types of Qi that affect our IBS: Spleen Qi and Liver Qi is needed.
Spleen Qi and Liver Qi
In the world of TCM, Qi comes with different types having different functions, among which Spleen Qi and Liver Qi are most related to our IBS.
When both types of Qi flow smoothly, digestion works smoothly. But when they are blocked or weak? That is when bloating, cramps, diarrhea, or constipation, classic IBS symptoms, show up.
Beyond anatomy: the TCM view of Spleen and Liver
A word of caution: The Spleen and Liver in TCM are not what people mean in Western medicine.
In other words, they are not names for two organs in our bodies but two energy systems with different functions. While the Spleen means roughly the digestive system, the Liver is totally different from liver in the Western world. The Liver, in TCM, assists in digestion, promotes blood circulation, and facilitates metabolism (knowledge by Hai, 2016).
IBS through the lens of TCM and Qi
So, what is IBS from a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) point of view?
In TCM, IBS is not seen as just a gut problem. It is more about how energy, or Qi, moves through your body. When Qi flows the way it should, everything works smoothly. What does everything mean? It is your digestion, blood circulation, even your metabolism. But if that flow gets blocked, sluggish, or goes in the wrong direction, you start to feel symptoms like bloating, cramping, or irregular bowel movements.
TCM often traces these issues to two main types of Qi: Spleen Qi, which helps your body turn food into energy, and Liver Qi, which keeps that energy moving freely. When either one is out of balance, you will lose control of your digestion and your IBS flares up.
Qi and women’s IBS
For women, problems with Spleen Qi and Liver Qi are especially common, and here is why:
1. hormonal changes create Qi rollercoasters
Women’s Qi is closely linked to blood and hormonal cycles, so changes around PMS, the menstrual cycle, and perimenopause can:
- lead to mood swings and gut spasms (Liver Qi disruption)
- weaken your digestive system and make you crave for sugar (Speen Qi deficiency)
2. stress disrupts Qi (a traffic jam in your gut)
Modern life is full of stress (juggling work deadlines, constant phone notifications, and family responsibilities). According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), all that stress can block the smooth flow of your Liver Qi (your body’s energy that helps manage emotions and keep things moving).
When your Liver Qi gets stuck, it can start to “push against” your Spleen Qi (the energy that supports digestion). In plain terms, your stress response begins to mess with your gut. In TCM’s terms, they call it Liver Qi overpowering Spleen Qi.
When this happens, when the two types of energy fight, you might experience a traffic jam in your gut:
- Bloating (blocked Qi means trapped gas)
- Alternating diarrhea and constipation (Qi cannot decide whether to speed things up or slow them down)
- Cramps and discomfort (stagnant Qi often leads to pain)
3. sitting too much slows down Qi
(Ask yourself a question now: When reading this post, are you sitting down?) Desk jobs, long commutes, binge-watching shows: sitting for long periods congests Qi. In the TCM world, movement keeps energy flowing. Without enough activity? Digestion slows down, bloating gets worse, and discomfort lingers.
4. cold and raw foods weaken your Spleen Qi
Smoothies, salads, iced coffees—while these might seem healthy, cold and raw foods can damage Spleen Qi. Your digestive system is like a warm stove: heat is needed to break down food properly. If you overload it with cold foods, it struggles, leading to:
- Loose stools
- Fatigue after eating
- Bloating and sluggish digestion
Final words: the Qi factor and IBS
IBS is not just about what you eat or how stressed you are. It is about the Qi factor: how your Qi is flowing (or not flowing). If you are a woman struggling with IBS, consider looking beyond conventional advice and exploring whether your Qi is stuck or weak.
(Want to know how to facilitate the Qi factor, check out the post on self-healing mode.)
Sources of knowledge
Professor Hong Hai, PhD London School of Economics, author of Principles of Chinese Medicine: A Modern Interpretation (Imperial College Press 2016).
Dr Yanlin Liu, senior Chinese medicine practitioner, author of Healing Qi Can Cure All Diseases (2021). (Text in Chinese)
