The condition currently affects around six million people in the UK with symptoms such as severe stomach pains, bloating, constipation, diarrhoea and vomiting.

Though there are lifestyle and diet recommendations as well as standard medication for IBS, there is currently no cure for the disease and often the strain of living in constant discomfort can often result in depression and fatigue.

However, recently professionals have begun to notice the medical merits of hypnotherapy for sufferers, with many hospitals offering or referring patients for treatment.

Research shows that nine out of ten sufferers saw a significant improvement in symptoms thanks to hypnotherapy and four out of ten reported a complete clear up of the condition.
Helen Bremner is an NHS hypnotherapist and says that she has seen hypnotherapy successfully help many people deal with past anxieties and completely eradicate their symptoms with the treatment.

“People are sceptical at first” she told The Express, “but after just a few sessions they’re socialising and doing all the things they couldn’t do before, such as walks in the country where there is no loo.”

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A study has shown that basic lifestyle changes such as adopting a special diet and performing stress reduction techniques when combined with hypnotherapy and probiotic’s has been highly successful at reducing symptoms.

The study was conducted on over 100 patients at the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital and led by resident gastroenterologist, Professor Roland Valori. The outcome of the study showed that nine in ten participants experienced relief and for four out of ten the symptoms completely disappeared.

Hypnotherapy is an effective form of treatment due to a primary aim of care being to relax the patient and reach their subconscious mind. Hypnotherapy can then be used to alter the way a person perceives their health issues and will instead promote a new and more positive response.

If you would like to contact a hypnotherapist regarding treatment for Irritable Bowel Syndrome you can do so using the homepage of this site.

More information on Irritable Bowel Syndrome can be found in the Hypnotherapy Areas section of this site.

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Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a fairly common issue which causes pain in the abdomen as well as bloating, diarrhoea and constipation.

Dr Valori, of Gloucestershire Royal Hospital has said she believes greater use of hypnotherapy could ease symptoms for sufferers and could save money in the long run. However, much of the research was first published in the 1980′s causing doctors to question its current credibility.

Dr Valori started referring patients for hypnotherapy in 1990 and has found it consistently effective. After auditing his first 100 referrals he found that symptoms stopped completely for four in ten cases and five out of ten reported feeling more in control of their symptoms.

Hypnotherapy’s success in treating IBS is partly due to its ability to relax patients, meaning that not only does it help tor relieve direct symptoms but it also helps sufferers to face difficult situations and cope with stress in their lives.

NHS guidelines state that doctors are allowed to refer IBS patients for hypnotherapy in the event that traditional psychological therapies and medication are unsuccessful and the problem persists.

View the original article here.

Many symptoms overlap with those of irritable bowel syndrome and experts in the area believe the two could be linked by the same disorder. Before diagnosing the problem as dyspepsia other disorders such as diabetes, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and peptic ulcers must be ruled out first. Treatment of the condition really does depend on the patients symptoms but the MAYO clinic have suggested that sufferers try to alter their lifestyle and undergo behavioural therapy as treatment.


We already know that hypnosis has been proven highly effective when used to treat IBS so it seemed like an obvious choice of treatment as the conditions both share many symptoms. A study which aimed to research the effectiveness of hypnosis when treating dyspepsia gave 126 patients hypnotherapy, supportive therapy and placebo, or medical treatment. Dyspepsia symptoms were analysed both before and after the 16 week course of treatments and patients were then monitored for a further 56 week follow up.

The results showed that the hypnotherapy group exhibited the most improvement both on short and long term basis. Of the participants in the study 73% of those from the hypnosis group reported improvement, compared to 34% of the therapy group and 43% of the medicine group.

Not only is hypnotherapy great in this instance due to its therapeutic nature but it also has been shown to speed up the emptying of the stomach which in turn will ease painful dyspepsia symptoms.

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As a condition which affects between 10 to 15% of the UK’s population, often leaving those affected in severe discomfort and unable to work or socialise, this alternative therapy for an age old problem is a step in the right direction.

Hypnotherapists at a unique centre in Withington Hospital, Manchester have been helping people with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), by getting them to visualise their digestive system as a river. This may not seem like the most obvious way of treating the illness but Dr Peter Whorwell, the gastroenterologist who founded the centre and devised the “river” concept, explains that the aim is to make the river flow smoothly. If there is a blockage or a flood the patient is asked to visualise a way the problem can be solved.

Sessions with a therapist, interspersed with home practice using a CD, are aimed at “retraining” a patient’s gut and eradicating their problems and since IBS affects everyone differently, the therapy is tailored to each patient.

The centre is the only one of its kind in the UK and treats around 160 patients from across the country each year with a success rate of 71% of patients for up to five years after their course of treatment.

Dr Whorwell is trying to promote this treatment to other doctors around the country. But he says many are still reluctant to use the technique. While many doctors may still be skeptical about using hypnotherapy, Dr Whorwell says patients have no such qualms. “They are falling over themselves to have the therapy, particularly the younger ones”.

Professor David Spiegel, of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences at Stanford University will call for hypnotherapy to be used in the treatment of various conditions, from allergies to pain management to high blood pressure, following on from the use of hypnotherapy for irritable bowel syndrome.

He will be addressing the Royal Society of Medicine to ask that the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence consider using hypnotherapy.

Professor Spiegel said: “It is time for hypnosis to work its way into the mainstream of British medicine. “There is solid science behind what sounds like mysticism and we need to get that message across to the bodies that influence this area.

“Hypnosis has no negative side-effects. It makes operations quicker, as the patient is able to talk to the surgeon as the operation proceeds, and it is cheaper than conventional pain relief. Since it does not interfere with the workings of the body, the patient recovers faster, too.”

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Inspired by the recent story about a woman who was hypnotised to think she had a gastric band fitted to help her lose weight, the article looks at some of the more unlikely issues hypnotherapy has been used for.

The treatment of irritable bowel syndrome is highlighted as a particular success, with a 70% success rate, and some hospitals having a waiting list for the treatment.

Even technology has been playing a part, with hypnotist helping to cure writer’s block through Twitter. Phobias are also something that can be helped through hypnosis, and the article includes how a woman overcame her fear of fruit.

Read the article here…

The illness is a form of irritable bowel disease, and affects the large intestine or colon, causing ulcers and open sores. It is similar to Crohn’s Disease.

The trails, carried out in the UK, saw 17 sufferers being given a 50 minute session of hypnotherapy which was designed to help them relax and reduce inflammation. After their session, the participants level of inflammation was measured, and there was 50% drop. After such a positive reaction after only one session, there are plans for more trials over longer periods of time.

It is hoped that hypnotherapy will be able to reduce the need for taking drugs to help control the illness, as well as improve quality of life for sufferers.

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