IBS syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a painful condition of the gastrointestinal system, and it is estimated that as many as 8 million people suffer from it in the UK alone.
IBS is thought to be due changes in the way the gut functions. The gut goes into spasms which causes stomach pain, bloating, feelings of cramp on the sides of the abdomen, a ‘popping’ or gurgling sound especially on the left side of the abdomen, diarrhoea which may last for days or weeks, constipation to feelings of lethargy and generally feeling unwell. These symptoms may lead to time off work, avoiding social situations e.g. especially if suffering from diarrhoea, to feelings of anxiety and depression.
Little is known as to the actual causes of IBS although the medical profession have generally ruled out that the disorder is a psychological one. However, what is known, is that stress contributes greatly to the symptoms of IBS.
Research over the last 10 years, especially at Manchester University, has suggested that people with IBS may have an oversensitive intestinal system. A vast majority of this research was based on subjects receiving hypnosis.
Hypnosis has been found to be extremely effective in the treatment of IBS. In fact studies have shown that hypnosis is still effective even after 5 years of having initial treatment. Further, hypnosis has been found to reduce all the symptoms associated with the disorder rather than just a few, thus being more effective than medication alone.
It has been suggested that the reason hypnosis works is that it reduces the gut sensitivity by modulating how the brain sends messages to the gut, and that this turn helps to regulate the intestines.
Hypnosis is a powerful therapeutic tool in the treatment of IBS and many people report positive results after only 3 sessions. Even people with severe symptoms who have tried conventional treatment have also benefitted from having hypnosis. So if you suffer from IBS why not have hypnosis? After all it is one of the safest and relaxing therapies you may ever experience.
