East Asian medicine has centuries of clinical use for digestive complaints, and research is catching up to explain why — studies on IBS show acupuncture can meaningfully improve symptom severity and quality of life. Emerging research on inflammatory conditions like IBD points to real anti-inflammatory mechanisms.

Alongside traditional East Asian medicine diagnostics, Klara utilizes GI-MAP stool testing. The GI-MAP test identifies markers related to gut bacteria balance (dysbiosis), inflammation, digestive function, and intestinal permeability, which gives objective data to work from rather than relying on symptom patterns alone.

Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine combined with GI-MAP testing gives you something most gut-health treatment doesn't: an individualized plan built on both centuries of clinical pattern recognition and your own lab data.

Klara Furst, L.Ac. works with the following Digestive & Gut-Related Concerns:

• SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth)

• IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome, IBS-C, IBS-D)

• IBD (Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis) and colitis

• Chronic bloating and abdominal distension

• Indigestion, reflux, and heartburn

• Constipation and diarrhea (including alternating patterns)

• Food allergies, sensitivities, and intolerances

• Increased Intestinal Permeability (Leaky Gut Syndrome)

• MCAS (Mast Cell Activation Syndrome) and histamine intolerance

If your symptoms don't fit neatly into one of these categories, that's fine — many people arrive here without a clear diagnosis. The discovery call is a chance to talk through what you're experiencing.

You may have heard the term "leaky gut" — the more clinical term is intestinal permeability, and it's worth knowing it's not a formally recognized diagnosis in conventional medicine the way IBS or IBD are. That said, there's a real and growing body of research on intestinal permeability and gut dysbiosis (an imbalance in gut bacteria), and on how they may relate to symptoms that don't look like digestive complaints at all, including:

• Brain fog and difficulty concentrating
• Fatigue
• Joint pain and general inflammation
• Sleep disruption
• Hormonal symptoms

If your primary complaints are things like fatigue or brain fog rather than bloating or bathroom habits, and you suspect your gut may be part of the picture, that's a reasonable thing to bring to a discovery call — not a stretch. GI-MAP testing (offered separately, see above) can also help clarify whether dysbiosis or intestinal permeability markers are part of what's going on, rather than leaving it a guess.

Digestive function is associated with the Earth Element and with how the body processes not just food, but stress, worry, and overall nourishment. Rather than treating a symptom in isolation, this approach looks at digestive complaints in the context of your whole system: sleep, stress load, nervous system regulation, and long-standing patterns.

This isn't a substitute for a diagnostic workup — it's a complementary lens. Research suggests acupuncture may influence gut motility, visceral sensitivity, and the gut-brain axis via effects on the autonomic nervous system, which is part of why it's increasingly explored as a supportive therapy for functional GI conditions.

Working together typically starts with about a month of care to build rapport, understand your case, and make sure this approach is the right fit before deciding on next steps.

For those looking to address gut health in a more comprehensive way, a structured six-month Gut Support Program is available — highly recommended for working toward lasting relief, not just short-term symptom management.

This program includes:

• GI-MAP stool testing to identify what's actually happening in your gut microbiome
• In-depth analysis and explanation of your results, so you understand what's driving your symptoms
• A personalized six-month treatment plan built around your results — herbs, supplements, nutrition, and lifestyle recommendations tailored to your case
• Consistent acupuncture care — weekly for the first three months, then every other week for the second three — to help retrain the nervous system and support healthy vagal nerve tone, which plays a key role in digestive function
• Ten virtual check-ins for ongoing herb, supplement, nutrition, and lifestyle support — spaced closer together at the start of the program and around key transitions in your plan
• Guidance for maintaining your progress after the six months are complete, so relief continues long-term

This is something we can discuss together once we've had a chance to work together and determine if it's the right path for you.

Klara is a licensed acupuncturist and the owner of Yes Acupuncture Works in Montrose, CA, serving Glendale, Pasadena, and the surrounding foothill communities. She has been practicing 5 Element acupuncture since 2016 within a framework informed by contemporary medical science. Klara runs a deliberately small, high-touch practice — one patient at a time, with the space to listen deeply and meet people where they're at to offer meaningful support. Read Klara's full bio here.