IBS OR IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME
IBS can be a difficult condition to live with and it is a very hard syndrome for the medical profession to deal with. The good news is, as seen on channel 4 “Embarrassing Bodies” program broadcasted on Saturday 18th September, Hypnotherapy is a hugely effective treatment. It is estimated to be at least 85% effective.
According to Peter Whorell, consultant for the NHS, Hypnotherapy is the most effective treatment for IBS. For further information and studies on this issue, please refer to http://www.ibshypnosis.com/IBSresearch.html
We at The Clerkenwell Group have been working with various clients in this field with a good level of success. We do believe in brief therapy, so it should not be an issue that takes a lot of sessions. Here is a brief outline of what IBS entails.
What is irritable bowel syndrome and who gets it?
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common functional disorder of the gut (that includies the bowels). A functional disorder means there is a problem with the function of a part of the body, but there is no abnormality in the structure. So, in IBS, the function of the gut is upset, but all parts of the gut look normal, even when looked at under a microscope. IBS can cause various symptoms (listed below). Up to 1 in 5 people in the UK develop IBS at some stage in their life. IBS can affect anyone at any age, but it commonly first develops in young adults and teenagers. IBS is twice as common in women as in men.
What are the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome?
- Pain and discomfort may occur in different parts of the abdomen. Pain usually comes and goes. The length of each bout of pain can vary greatly. The pain often eases when you pass stools (motions or faeces) or wind. Many people with IBS describe the pain as a spasm or colic. The severity of the pain can vary from mild to severe, both from person to person, and from time to time in the same person.
- Bloating and swelling of your abdomen may develop from time to time. You may pass more wind than usual.
- Stools (sometimes called motions or faeces):
- Some people have bouts of diarrhoea, and some have bouts of constipation.
- Some people have bouts of diarrhoea that alternate with bouts of constipation.
- Sometimes the stools become small and pellet-like. Sometimes the stools become watery or ribbony. At times, mucus may be mixed with the stools.
- You may have a feeling of not emptying your rectum after going to the toilet.
- Some people have urgency, which means you have to get to the toilet quickly. A 'morning rush' is common. That is, you feel an urgent need to go to the toilet several times shortly after getting up. This is often during and after breakfast.
- Other symptoms sometimes occur and include: nausea (feeling sick), headache, belching, poor appetite, tiredness, backache, muscle pains, feeling quickly full after eating, heartburn, and bladder symptoms (an associated irritable bladder).
Some people have occasional mild symptoms. Others have unpleasant symptoms for long periods. Many people fall somewhere in between, with flare-ups of symptoms from time to time. Some doctors group people with IBS into one of three categories:
- Those with abdominal pain or discomfort, and the other symptoms are mainly bloating and constipation.
- Those with abdominal pain or discomfort, and the other symptoms are mainly urgency to get to the toilet, and diarrhoea.
- Those who alternate between constipation and diarrhoea.
However, in practice, many people will not fall neatly into any one category, and considerable overlap occurs.
Note: passing blood is not a symptom of IBS. You should tell a doctor if you pass blood.
If you would like further help with your Primary Care Trust on this issue, do not hesitate to contact us, as we may be able to help.
The Clerkenwell Group was founded by Darren Stamford and Gordon Matthews with associate members Debbie Bloxam, Katy Dowler, Cari Wesby and Catherine Dixon. Using cognitive HYPNOTHERAPY for self-confidence, stopping smoking, weight control, curing phobias using NLP and all other kinds of HYPNOTHERAPY.
All our therapists have the Hypnotherapy Practitioner Diploma, one of the very few qualifications in Hypnotherapy to be recognised by Oxford University (the ruling university body in England).
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