Irritable Bowel Syndrome – What is it?

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a generalised description for uncomfortable and often painful symptoms in the abdomen including the stomach and bowels. Unfortunately the cause of IBS is not known and sufferers tend to adopt management of the symptoms rather than being offered a cure. It is estimated that IBS affects around 15 to 20% of the population and more women tend to suffer with it than men. Making IBS sufferes need to check for where the nearest toilet is wherever they are.

IBS Symptoms

Typical symptoms related to Irritable Bowel Syndrome include discomfort, bloating, and changing  bowel habits which can range from diarrhea to constipation. Some of these symptoms can be embarrassing which can lead to restrictions in lifestyle either to do with the occupation and/or social activities.

Causes of IBS

There is nothing definitive that causes IBS. Some practitioners suspect gut infections or parasites. Indeed the risk of getting IBS increases significantly after a gastro-intestinal infection. Some research suggests a connection between stress and the reaction of the gut to prolonged stress.

How is IBS Managed?

As there is no known cure for IBS treatment tends to focus on reducing symptoms and being aware of triggers and avoiding those triggers. In order to relieve symptoms adjustments for meal size, frequency and contents may be introduced. For example 5 lighter meals might be better than 3 heavier meals. Medication such as anti-sposmodic drugs and stomach acid inhibitors maybe prescribed amongst other drugs. Often a fibre supplement is suggested. Then there are the psychological interventions that can help a patient’s confidence and stress levels.

Hypnosis Helps IBS

Learning self hypnosis can be a great way of reducing stress and be a highly effective part of your IBS management program. When you consider that when we are stressed we can produce more stomach acid, anything that can help us feel more relaxed, a lessen acid production, even during work or social activities, will help the confidence of any IBS sufferer.

In fact hypnosis has been used for many years at a Manchester hospital to specifically help people who have IBS. Professor Whorwell has lead his IBS clinic with a positive role for hypnosis and it’s regular practice in the form of self hypnosis can do in reducing IBS pain and discomfort.

Help for IBS Sufferers

It’s important that if you think you suffer from or have been diagnosed with IBS, that your doctor remains at the centre of your treatment program. Hypnosis is considered an effective addition to the range of treatments for IBS.

Steven Harold teaches self hypnosis to his hypnotherapy patients in London helping them to reduce their stress levels and aiding the management of the symptoms of IBS.

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Author’s Details

Steven Harold BA(Hons) DCH DHP
Clinical Hypnotherapist – London and Essex

Website: www.hypno-therapist.com

Email: steve@hypno-therapist.com
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About IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)
IBS (Irritible Bowel Syndrome) can be an extremely debilitating problem affecting around 15% of the population of the UK, with symptoms including diarrhoea, pain and bloating. The condition can seriously affect sufferers’ quality of life and finding treatment can be difficult, leading many doctors to feel they can do little to help as there are no pharmaceutical treatments available that seem to effectively treat IBS.

Hypnotherpy and IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)
Because of that, patients will often continue to experience the problem for life whilst constantly costing the NHS money, a reported £50 million per annum, with patients only ending their treatment when becoming disenchanted with it. But over the last 20 years there has been much research into the treatment and relapse prevention of IBS using Hypnotherapy.

In the UK the instigator of much of this research has been Professor Peter Whorwell, Professor of Medicine and Gastroenterology in the University of Manchester’s Medical School and Director of the South Manchester Functional Bowel Service.

Most recently, two hundred and fifty patients who have suffered from IBS for over two years and had failed to receive benefit from other treatments, were given twelve one-hour sessions, during which they were given an explanation of how the gut works and what causes their symptoms.

Positive Results for Hypnotherapy
Patients scored themselves on such issues as presence and severity of IBS symptoms, quality of life, and level of anxiety and depression. Almost all mentioned that their sense of overall well-being increased enormously. Any anxiety and depression eased considerably. The only participants that did not improve particularly well to hypnotherapy were males with diarrhoea.

This large-scale review confirms the knowledge of the benefits of treating IBS with Hypnotherapy. Symptoms such as pain and distension, as well as the level of so-called “disease interference” with life, changed intensely for most participants, with just three months of weekly Hypnotherapy treatment. The findings also indicate that treating IBS patients with Hypnotherapy can be very cost-effective, in particular due to the fact that relief from this notoriously hard-to-treat condition can be sustainable as improvements are usually permanent.

“IBS is ideal for treatment with hypnosis, as there is no structural damage to the body,” explained Professor Whorwell. “During the hypnotherapy, sufferers learn how to influence and gain control of their gut function, and then seem to be able to change the way the brain modulates their gut activity.”

With 78% success from his most recent study Professor Whorwell believes that hypnotherapy could be an extremely effective treatment for the condition; and a less expensive alternative to new, costly drugs coming onto the market. “We’ve found it to help all the symptoms, whereas some of the drugs available reduce only a few,” he goes on to explain. “As IBS can be a life-long condition it could clearly be a very valuable option for patients” Gonsalkorale WM, Houghton LA, Whorwell PJ. Hypnotherapy in irritable bowel syndrome: a large-scale audit of a clinical service with examination of factors influencing responsiveness. Am J Gastroenterol,2002;97:954-961

Email: enquiries@midlandshypnotherapy.com
Website: www.midlandshypnotherapy.com

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