![]() ![]() Mindfulness techniques can help patients tamp down the anxiety linked to their symptoms by learning to foster awareness of the present moment. Quiet the nervous system with mindfulness and relaxation techniquesĪ pillar of the integrative approach and many of the apps is to help patients limit anticipatory anxiety, and halt the feedback loop that can amplify the unpleasant feelings and sensations associated with IBS symptoms. The brain and the gut are talking, but it's almost as if the brain is misinterpreting the signal. Every cramp or stomach sensation can register as a threat. But if there's nothing structural to be treated, which can be the case with IBS, the heightened stress response is a problem, and can keep us stuck in the nervous system's fight-or-flight mode. In a crisis – if your arm is broken – this amped up pain response is useful. A new treatment approach helps patients learn how stress may make symptoms worse. Getty Images IBS symptoms include stomach pain, bloating and gas and sometimes urgent bowel movements or constipation. "That gets that negative feedback loop going." When you feel an unpleasant sensation in the body, "it's registered as a threat, and the stress response is mounted," she says. Smith says stress and anxiety can increase sensations of pain in the body and disrupt the GI system. Information flows along the vagus nerve, which connects brain to gut, so what's happening in the mind affects the gastrointestinal system. "There's a continuous feedback loop between the brain and the gut," explains Suzanne Smith, a nurse practitioner at UCLA's Integrative Digestive Health and Wellness program. ![]() Scientists now know that disturbances in the way the nervous system, brain and gut interact can cause changes that trigger or worsen IBS symptoms, including stomach pain, bloating, diarrhea and constipation. Let's start with the basic re-set in thinking about IBS. Here's what to know about the science behind the integrative approach and how the new apps work. Some apps are FDA authorized and require a doctor's prescription others can be downloaded on your own. To fill in the gaps, doctors have started to recommend virtual support – apps – that let people access stress management and dietary strategies, on their own at home. "The doctor has become an educator, somebody to help the patient to understand how he or she can help themselves."īut most gastroenterology practices don't have a registered dietician, psychologist or stress-management professional on staff, so finding this integrative treatment isn't easy. ![]() "There has been a real sea change in terms of managing patients," says William Chey, a gastroenterologist at the University of Michigan who has documented the benefits of integrative care. (They will first run tests to rule out conditions such as colitis, Crohn's or celiac disease.) Rather than relying only on medications that mask symptoms, doctors are prescribing a combination of diet counseling with therapies, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness and even hypnotherapy. with irritable bowel syndrome.įor relief, your doctor may steer you toward a new kind of treatment that integrates diet change with tools to work through the stress that often triggers symptoms. ![]() If you have unexplained episodes of diarrhea, constipation or gastrointestinal distress you could be one of the more than 25 million people in the U.S. ![]()
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