Participation in a relaxation response based mind-body group intervention was associated with improvements in disease-specific measures, trait anxiety and pain catastrophizing in patients with irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease, according to study findings.The quality of life in patients with IBS and IBD is often significantly affected and influenced by stress and resiliency

Source: Relaxation intervention improves symptoms, may help treat IBS, IBD

Source: Treament of IBS should focus on head as well as gut : Family Practice News

The pathophysiology of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) was the focus of a presentation given by Dr. Anthony J. Lembo at the 2nd annual Digestive Diseases meeting in Philadelphia.
Specifically, Dr. Lembo discussed the debate about whether diagnosing the condition should focus on a patient’s gut or head; that is, if enhanced perception of a bowel disorder can lead to visceral hypersensitivity and altered motility, which results in a diagnosis of IBS when, in fact, the issue is psychosomatic. Dr. Lembo, a professor at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, explained that there is a growing shift toward diagnosing IBS as a brain-to-gut interaction rather than as something based purely on limited motility. Patients presenting with comorbid conditions such as depression, migraine, anxiety, neuralgia, chronic fatigue or pain, or fibromytosis are all more likely to not only have IBS, but to have more severe symptoms and lower quality of life.

Dr. Anthony J. Lembo
“When I see a patient who has a lot of these symptoms together, I realize that I need to be very aggressive and use a multimodal approach,” said Dr. Lembo. “I talk to their other physicians, and do more of the brain treatment, psychological treatment, CNS drugs, as well as some peripheral ones.”
For these reasons, Dr. Lembo said that the current Rome III criteria for treatment of IBS are not sufficient to be used on their own in diagnosing and treating IBS, saying “IBS is a heterogeneous disorder with both peripheral and central mechanisms” that must be treated as such. In treating the central nervous system, Dr. Lembo discussed 5-HT3 antagonists, serotonin modulators, antidepressants, and placebos. Peripheral treatments can come in the form of either diets, fiber regimens, antibiotics, GC-C agonists*, 5-HT3 antagonists, and probiotics/prebiotics, although efficacies and approvals vary.”

Bunny Besley adds comment:

Treatment involving both medication and psychologial intervention gives a more holistic approach and hypnosis is indicated as having successful outcomes to reduction of symptoms caused by the stress reaction in the gut.

IBS Treatment.

For many people this painful and often embarrassing condition can have a very negative impact on the quality of life and enjoyment of social interaction. In worst case scenarios the sufferer can become housebound and unable to face the prospect of being in a place where they cant guarantee being close to the toilet.

Diagnosis is often reached after extensive tests have shown no other specific cause and the best treatments that can be offered are antispasmodics and fibre boosting tablets. It is unclear what causes IBS in the first place but research has shown links to illness and stress. What ever the cause is, it is becoming evident that people with IBS have an imbalance of gut bacteria and that treatment with traditionally fermented foods and probiotics may be the best way forward. Research has also studied feeding people with this imbalance tablets containing the faeces of people with a healthy bacterial balance with very promising results.

The good news is that progress is being made into understanding more about this ever increasing health issue and that soon we will have much better options available.

The stress link is apparent and often treating this area can reduce symptoms and the worry associated with the issue. When you are stressed the bowel does not function as efficiently as it does in rest, since the body believes that stressful conditions mean you are in imminent danger of attack and it focuses its energy in being ready to flee or fight. It is possible prolonged periods in this state may be the cause of the bacterial imbalance in the first place and once this occurs the symptoms increase.

A treatment plan that covers all areas of IBS should be the most effective and a course of therapy coupled with dietary changes and increases in healthy bacteria through naturally fermented foods, such as sauerkraut, yogurts containing L.acidophilus or quality health supplements that contain L.acidophilus is to be recommended.