Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a physical problem that many people have to put up with on a daily basis. There is no cure because IBS is not a disease, it's what the medical world terms a functional disorder, characterised as a brain-gut dysfunction. However, it is still misunderstood by some trained medical practitioners and frequently treated as a psychological condition. IBS is very real and can be devastating to an individual's enjoyment of life.

IBS is also a more common problem than many might imagine.

Percentage of population suffering IBS symptoms
UK 10%
US 15%
Japan 10%
Canada 6%
Brazil 43%

But what exactly is it?

Well it turns out that the medical world has decided that what it is is not something else. By that I mean that when other possibilities for the symptoms have been eliminated - then the diagnosis is IBS. It is largely a diagnosis by exclusion.

IBS is a term used to describe a collection of symptoms that suggest a lack of normal gut function, but the symptoms are not consistent from individual to individual. There is individual variation. However, the most significant aspect is abdominal pain/discomfort accompanied by change in defecation frequency and/or a change in stool consistency.

One important point that I cannot stress too highly.

IBS cannot and should not be self-diagnosed.

This is because some IBS symptoms are also symptoms of other more serious, and other less serious, problems that are medically treatable. If you suspect you have IBS then visit your medical practitioner for confirmation. If your suspicion is confirmed then you can consider what would be your best course of action.

One course of action you might consider is hypnotherapy.

IBS treatment is one of the few health problems where hypnotherapy has been tested extensively and found to be the most effective course of treatment. This is partly because the medical world has no cure to give IBS sufferers all they can really offer is painkillers, and dietary advice. Hypnosis is a very powerful technique to use to relieve pain and discomfort and in my own experience, even healing of problems the medical world has given up on.

For more information on hypnosis and its use in the treatment of IBS click here.

IBS Symptom Checklist