GERD: An Alternative Perspective

Background: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a prevalent disease caused by multiple facets of factors. Current Western Medicine treatment of GERD focuses mainly on symptom alleviation. Although proton-pump inhibitors are known to alleviate symptoms in most patients, a significant portion of patients continue to present GERD.

Objective: Given multiple factors, including the involvement of psychosocial influences, that contribute to the pathogenesis of GERD, we sought to look beyond the current available treatments for a multitargeting therapy to combat this disease. Traditional Chinese Medicine, with a history of more than 2000 years, is known for its holistic approach in the treatment of human body.

Methods: In this article, we aim to review the ancient Traditional Chinese Medicine literature and current Traditional Chinese Medicine studies related to GERD, thereby presenting the understanding of GERD from a TCM perspective.