Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatment for Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), primarily comprising Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), is a chronic inflammatory condition of the gut whose aetiology remains incompletely understood. Globally, the incidence of IBD continues to rise, presenting numerous challenges for clinical management. Against this backdrop, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), leveraging its theoretical strengths of holistic perspective and syndrome differentiation-based treatment, demonstrates considerable application potential through its multi-component, multi-target characteristics. This includes regulating immune responses, exerting anti-inflammatory effects, and repairing damaged intestinal barriers. This chapter aims to systematically review advances in TCM research on IBD, encompassing diagnosis, pathogenesis, syndrome differentiation, therapeutic approaches, and application progress in IBD treatment. It further explores potential mechanisms of action, seeking to provide additional effective treatment options for IBD and promote deeper integration between traditional medicine and modern science. In conclusion, this chapter underscores the potential of TCM as a holistic and multi-targeted approach for IBD management, offering valuable insights for integrating traditional wisdom with modern gastroenterology.