Hypnosis and irritable bowel syndrome

In patients with irritable bowel syndrome who do not respond to other treatments, hypnotherapy appears to be able to reduce colon symptoms after eating, according to recent research. Researchers from the Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Sweden, took 28 patients with irritable bowel syndrome who had not responded to other treatments and randomly assigned them to receive gut-directed hypnotherapy 1 hr/week for 12 weeks or supportive therapy (control subjects). Hypnotherapy patients were given suggestions in the hypnotic state directed at normalizing gastrointestinal function, and included imagery of "a river flowing smoothly, or a blocked river flow that was cleared by the patient," the researchers elaborate. Patients were encouraged to practice their "hypnotic skills" at home between sessions. Patients in the supportive group attended sessions on diet emphasizing "good and bad food items," and on relaxation training. At study entry and at 3 months, the patients underwent a series of tests to determine colon function. All patients had similar function at the start of the trial. After the treatment period, the hypnotherapy patients but not the control patients had lower responses on tests of colon sensitivity. The researchers concluded that hypnotherapy reduces the sensory and motor components of the gastrocolonic response in irritable bowel syndrome.

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