Irritable Bowel Syndrome

What is IBS?

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a chronic functional gastrointestinal disorder that affects the nervous system of the gut. Since it is a functional disorder, it is defined not by specific medical tests, but by symptoms. IBS symptoms include abdominal pain, altered bowel movements, bloating, and constipation or diarrhea. Symptoms need to manifest for at least 12 weeks (either intermittently or continuously) in a one year period to be diagnosed as IBS. Depending upon the predominant symptom, there are three types of IBS:
Diarrhea-Predominant IBS, Constipation-Predominant IBS, and alternating IBS.

HOW SERIOUS ARE THE EFFECTS OF IBS?
IBS might not be a life-threatening disorder in itself but it does affect a person’s quality of life. People with IBS have various severities. Approximately 70% have mild symptoms. Approximately 25% have more moderate symptoms, that is, they have symptoms that may interfere with their functioning. Approximately 5% of people with IBS have very severe, disabling functioning. In the U.S., IBS is the second most cited reason for absence at work.

WHAT CAUSES IBS?
The causes of IBS are unknown. Over the past several years studies show that there may be a genetic predisposition to developing IBS. However, most researchers believe that a genetic predisposition alone is not enough to cause the disorder. They believe that there must be a second insult or second injury to trigger IBS, or bring it to the forefront. Other research has shown an association between prior gastrointestinal infections and IBS. Because the brain communicates with the intestines, there is widespread acceptance that psychological factors, such as emotions and stress can contribute to flare-ups of bowel disorders.

TRADITIONAL TREATMENT:
Traditional treatment consists of fiber therapy, antispasmodic medications and antidepressants. Fiber is added to the diet both through the use of bulking type laxatives and a high fiber diet. These are just as important for those people whose chief complaint is diarrhea as it is for constipation. Antispasmodic medications, such as Bentyl, reduce the spasms in the gut. Antidepressants, in this case, actually function on the nervous system of the gut to reduce its sensitivity to pain and other sensations rather than acting as emotional antidepressants. However, anyone who has suffered the symptoms of IBS for any length of time justifiably presents with some degree of depression.

It is important to note that only 25% of the people who suffer with IBS symptoms respond to traditional treatments. That means that 75% do not seem to improve with traditional treatments or do not improve enough to actually feel better.

THERE IS OVERWHELMING EVIDENCE THAT IBS SYMPTOMS RESPOND TO HYPNOSIS
Not only do they respond, but they respond dramatically! The research evidence to support this is so dramatic and so overwhelming that Adriene Fugh-Berman, M.D., chair of the National Women’s Heath Network in Washington, D.C., says that “Hypnosis should be the treatment of choice for severe cases of IBS.”

There is no doubt that Hypnosis is a highly effective treatment for IBS symptoms. In today’s climate of managed care, hypnosis represents a brief therapy, which is benign, inexpensive and non-invasive. Many clients report symptom relief after one or two sessions although a multi-session approach has maintained their symptom improvements for up to three years after the sessions were complete.

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