Constipation
Root-cause functional medicine care — not just symptom management. Lia Laterza, LAc works with you to find what's actually driving your constipation.
In-person & virtual consultations available
Constipation is one of the most common digestive complaints — and one of the most dismissed. Being told to drink more water and eat more fiber is not a solution when the underlying driver is something else entirely. At Muskego Acupuncture & Wellness, we investigate what is actually causing your constipation: low thyroid function, gut dysbiosis, magnesium deficiency, pelvic floor dysfunction, SIBO, food sensitivities, or a nervous system stuck in sympathetic overdrive. When we address the root, elimination normalizes — without relying on laxatives indefinitely.
Who It's For
This may be right for you if…
- You have fewer than three bowel movements per week or strain regularly
- You have been constipated for months or years and fiber and water have not helped
- You have bloating, gas, or abdominal discomfort alongside your constipation
- Your constipation alternates with diarrhea and you have been told you have IBS
- You have a thyroid condition and suspect it may be contributing
- Your constipation worsens with stress or travel
- You want to understand the root cause — not just manage symptoms with laxatives
Our Approach
How We Support Constipation Through Functional Medicine
We combine modern lab-based diagnostics with Traditional Chinese Medicine and personalized protocols to address the root cause — not just the symptoms.
Why Conventional Medicine Falls Short
Conventional medicine isn't designed to find the root cause.
Do any of these sound familiar?
- Your lab results are "normal", but you struggle daily with symptoms that affect your quality of life
- You've seen multiple doctors and are no closer to getting answers or relief
- Your physical and mental health keeps you from living life the way you want to
- Your doctor has told you "you'll just have to live with it"
- You're looking for an option besides prescription medications or invasive surgery
- You're beginning to wonder if you'll ever feel like yourself again
You're not alone. Most care models focus on symptoms — not systems — and they often miss the full picture, relying on generalized protocols that don't work for everyone.
Schedule a ConsultationWe Do Things Different Here
Most care treats the symptom. We find what's driving it.
Most practices choose one lens to look through. We use two — because your body doesn't separate its systems, and neither should your care.
Functional Medicine
We look beyond symptoms to find their root cause — testing hormones, gut health, and metabolic markers to understand what's really happening in your body. Instead of managing symptoms indefinitely, we build a personalized plan aimed at resolving the underlying imbalance.
Traditional Chinese Medicine
Thousands of years of clinical observation inform how we read the body's patterns — energy, circulation, and organ systems working together. Acupuncture, herbs, and lifestyle practices help restore balance and support your body's own healing response.
At Muskego Acupuncture & Wellness, we combine both — modern lab-based diagnostics with time-tested Eastern medicine — because using them together consistently produces more complete, more lasting results than either approach alone.
What You Can Expect
About Muskego Acupuncture
Muskego Acupuncture is a functional medicine and acupuncture practice led by Lia Laterza, LAc. Lia combines the science of functional medicine — lab testing, root-cause analysis, and personalized protocols — with the wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine to help patients understand what is happening in their bodies and finally feel like themselves again.
Whether you are navigating hormonal chaos, chronic fatigue, digestive issues, or a constellation of symptoms that no one has been able to explain — Lia takes the time to listen, test, and build a plan that is specific to you. No guessing. No dismissing. Just real answers and real support.
Common questions
I drink plenty of water and eat fiber — why am I still constipated?
Because fiber and water are not the solution when the driver is something else. Hypothyroidism, magnesium deficiency, SIBO, gut dysbiosis, and a nervous system stuck in sympathetic overdrive can all cause constipation regardless of fiber and fluid intake.
Can stress cause constipation?
Yes. The gut is directly regulated by the autonomic nervous system. When you are in sympathetic overdrive (fight-or-flight), gut motility slows significantly. Chronic stress is one of the most common drivers of both constipation and IBS.
How quickly can constipation be resolved?
It depends on the driver. Magnesium deficiency can be corrected within days. Thyroid-driven constipation improves over 6 to 8 weeks as thyroid function normalizes. SIBO and dysbiosis take longer — typically 2 to 4 months of treatment.
Milwaukee & Greater Milwaukee Area
Are you local to the Milwaukee area?
We offer acupuncture and in-person integrative therapies too!
If you're based in or near Milwaukee, we offer a full range of in-person services — fire cupping, gua sha, SAAT allergy treatments, muscle testing, and more. These therapies can be layered into your functional medicine plan or booked on their own for support with pain, stress, hormone balance, and skin health.
Your body has been trying to tell you something.
You deserve care that helps you feel at home in your body again. Together we'll stop guessing and start uncovering real answers — with a personalized approach that looks at the full picture of who you are and how you feel.
Book an Appointment