Gastroenterological disorders and hypnotherapy

Irritable Bowel Syndrome or IBS as its commonly known is often percieved as a blanket term for anyone suffering with gut problems but with no obvious medical cause. Working as a clinical hypnotherapist, I am surprised at the number of IBS suffers, or those with Crohns who have not looked into treatments outside of modern medicine.

Going to the Dr, there is little they can do for you except prescribe medication. In actual fact, it wasn't until about 10 years ago or so that specific medication became available for IBS.

So why is it that some people suffer with bloating, constipation, a runny tummy, and severe pain yet there is no identifiable medical cause? 

Hypnotherapy can help suffers in two ways

1. Suggestion work can be used to realign the mind body connection so that you can manipulate the workings of your bowels (research links below)
2. Sometimes IBS is caused by something emotional that the sufferer may or may not be consciously aware of. Hypnoanalysis can work to help the client uncover the emotional cause of IBS, relieving them from both the symptom and the cause. 

Hypnotherapy is a fast therapy so symptoms may begin to  be relieved after only a couple of sessions. 

Peter Whorwell (a Professor at the University of Manchester) is one of the leading hypnotherapists and researchers in this area. In 1984 Peter Whorwell started his research and  conducted a study using thoroughly placebo-controlled experimentation. Thirty patients with severe symptoms unresponsive to other treatment were randomly chosen to receive 7 sessions of hypnotherapy (15 patients) or 7 sessions of psychotherapy plus placebo pills (15 patients). The psychotherapy group showed a small but significant improvement in abdominal pain and distension, and in general well-being but not bowel activity pattern. The hypnotherapy patients showed a dramatic improvement in all central symptom. The hypnotherapy group showed no relapses during the 3-month follow-up period.

For more information on Peter Whorwells research go to his webpage

http://www.medicine.manchester.ac.uk/staff/peterwhorwell

Hypnotherapy is so succesful for the treatment of IBS that the NHS is now employing Clinical Hypnotherapists to work with patients in their gastroenterology departments and are conducting funded research looking into the positive effects of hypnotherapy on IBS.

If you suffer with IBS and want to find out more about how hypnotherapy can help, why not book a free consultation with me?

You can email me at catherine@surelifehypnotherapy.co.uk