Hypnotherapy good for irritable bowel syndrome.Dear Dr. Anne, Did you get this information? We're getting closer to your dream of hypnotherapists in the hospital! Sandy Plakke, CHt. * Holland, MI NEW YORK New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of (Reuters Health) -- Hypnosis therapy appears to be an effective treatment for a common intestinal disorder known as irritable bowel syndrome irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), condition characterized by frequently alternating constipation and diarrhea in the absence of any disease process. It is usually accompanied by abdominal pain, especially in the lower left quadrant, bloating, and flatulence. , recent study findings suggest. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS IBS Irritable bowel syndrome, see there ), which affects more women than men, is characterized by a cluster of symptoms including bouts of constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain Abdominal pain can be one of the symptoms associated with transient disorders or serious disease. Making a definitive diagnosis of the cause of abdominal pain can be difficult, because many diseases can result in this symptom. Abdominal pain is a common problem. and bloating bloating Vox populi A lay term for post-prandial abdominal fullness or swelling . The cause of the condition is unknown. Previous study findings have also indicated that hypnotherapy Hypnotherapy Definition Hypnotherapy is the treatment of a variety of health conditions by hypnotism or by inducing prolonged sleep. Pioneers in this field, such as James Braid and James Esdaile discovered that hypnosis could be used to is effective for the condition, thus, the National Health Service in the United Kingdom has consequently established its first hypnotherapy unit, with six therapists on staff. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment among the first 250 patients in the unit. This study clearly demonstrates that hypnotherapy remains an extremely effective treatment for irritable bowel syndrome and should prove more cost-effective as new, more expensive drugs come on to the market, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. lead study author Dr. Wendy M. Gonsalkorale of the University Hospital of South Manchester, UK, and her colleagues. Study participants underwent 12 hypnotherapy sessions during a 3-month period and were told to use an audiotape au·di·o·tape n. 1. A relatively narrow magnetic tape used to record sound for subsequent playback. 2. A tape recording of sound. tr.v. to practice the techniques between the sessions. After undergoing hypnotherapy, patients reported overall improvement in their condition as well as improvement in specific areas such as the severity and frequency of their pain, bloating, dissatisfaction with their bowel habits and the extent to which IBS interfered with their life, study findings indicate. In fact, more than three-quarters (78%) of the study participants reported improvements in their bowel habit, or stool frequency and consistency, after they underwent hypnotherapy, the investigators report in The American Journal of Gastroenterology gastroenterology Medical specialty dealing with digestion and the digestive system. In the 17th century Jan Baptista van Helmont conducted the first scientific studies in the field; William Beaumont published his own observations in 1833. . The remaining individuals experienced either no change or a slight deterioration. Symptoms reported by the patients that were unrelated to the colon, such as lethargy, bodily aches and backache back·ache n. Discomfort or a pain in the region of the back or spine. , also improved after hypnotherapy, the report indicates. Further, the therapy also reportedly improved the patients' quality of life--including their psychic and physical well-being--and reduced their anxiety and depression. Yet the treatment seemed to be more effective for women than for men, study findings suggest. At the start of the study, women rated their IBS and non-colon-related symptoms as more severe than did the men and had complaints of more severe bloating, the report indicates. After hypnotherapy, however, the women rated their IBS and non-colon-related symptoms lower than the men. The difference in scores may have largely been due to the fact that men with diarrhea showed less improvement than did their female peers with diarrhea, particularly in the extent to which the IBS condition interfered with their life and their dissatisfaction with their bowel habit, according to the researchers. For example, these men reported having an average 28 stools per week after hypnotherapy in comparison to 21 stools per week reported by the women. Also, only 54% of the men said their bowel habit improved in comparison to 82% of the women. In light of these findings, hypnotherapy may be less useful in males with diarrhea-predominant bowel habit, the researchers conclude. SOURCE: The American Journal of Gastroenterology 2002;97:954-961. |
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