What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
It’s thought that Irritable Bowel Syndrome affects between 10 and 15% of the UK population with symptoms ranging from mild to extreme. In the most severe cases symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome can cause so much discomfort and pain that normal life, such as work and socialising, can become impossible.
What causes Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Although the exact cause of Irritable bowel syndrome is not fully understood, IBS is now known to be directly related to anxiety and stress and because everyone experiences IBS differently conventional medicine has found it a difficult problem to treat.
Treatment for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Over the last 15 years or so, studies have shown that complementary and alternative therapies such as hypnotherapy, reflexology and massage can be extremely effective in reducing the symptoms of IBS.
Hypnotherapy for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Because hypnotherapy seems to be an effective long-term treatment for irritable bowel syndrome, many patients are now turning to it either as a complimentary therapy or more frequently as the primary treatment where conventional medicine has failed to work.
Added Benefits
This holistic approach means that the treatment itself can greatly reduce levels of anxiety and depression. Also patients find they need to take less drugs as the pain and discomfort are reduced and also the number of visits to the doctor are significantly reduced.
Like other conditions where the cause is not really understood, diagnosis is a matter of finding out what the problem isn’t. As stated earlier, IBS affects everyone differently and so individual responses to conventional treatments and drugs have often been very “hit and miss”. Drugs are often ineffective or only work for a short period of time.
So much work has been done on hypnotherapy and IBS with such good results that in February 2008 the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE), which gives guidance to the NHS on effective treatments, published guidance for GP’s and consultants saying there was good evidence that hypnotherapy was an effective treatment for IBS and that it could be recommended for chronic IBS. To see the NICE documents click here.
What Next?
If you’re finding that conventional medicine isn’t working, or you’d like to be able to reduce the amount drugs you have to take, why not have a word with your doctor as many GP’s will now refer patients with IBS to a hypnotherapist.
For more information or to book an appointment call me on 01636 642878 or click here for my contact form.
