Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are characterized by periods of inflammation and remission. Patients in remission often exhibit persistent gastrointestinal symptoms that are similar to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) often referred to as IBS-type or IBS-like symptoms. Studies that have been conducted to test the efficacy of various strategies in treating these conditions have confirmed that tricyclic antidepressants, mindfulness, fiber supplements, and osteopathy can provide some relief.
Gut-directed hypnotherapy has also shown its efficacy in treating these conditions in adults and children. Some studies have also shown that hypnotherapy may also help IBD patients. In other studies that examined ulcerative colitis patients, hypnotherapy was responsible for reduced risk of clinical relapse and a decrease in inflammatory markers in patients with active disease.
Vasant et al. (2020) investigated the effectiveness of hypnotherapy for treating patients with quiescent IBD with IBS-type symptoms. This treatment was compared to standard medical treatment (SMT) for IBS. The study was a randomized controlled trial carried out in four clinics of a hospital. Participants of the study were divided into two groups, one receiving SMT and the other being treated using hypnotherapy.
The hypnotherapy was conducted in six sessions, each taking close to 50 minutes per session. The therapy included exercises like general relaxation, control of abdominal pain, stress-control, control of gut and immune functioning, and suggestions to enhance one’s self-esteem. The patients were also taken through a digital audio recording containing 5 hypnosis exercises.
Each participant received a personalized audio recording. The results showed that 40% of the patients under hypnotherapy were relieved, while 60% of those under SMT also realized considerable improvement. Although hypnotherapy was not superior to SMT in this study, it is a reasonable treatment method from a clinical point of view.
Hoekman et al. (2020) also examined the efficacy of gut-focused hypnotherapy on children and adolescents with IBS. The researchers found that therapy can be a reliable treatment method for this category of patients. The therapy led to a considerable improvement in all non-colonic and colonic symptoms.
Many of the participants were able to resume their learning activities after undergoing therapy. Overall, the study showed a highly significant improvement in the symptoms associated with IBS after patients underwent hypnotherapy. The response rate was 88%, which was higher than previous studies that showed a response rate of about 76% among adults. The higher response rate among children compared to adults may be attributed to their high receptivity to imagination use.
Thus, gut-directed hypnotherapy can be successfully used to treat IBS in clinical settings, especially in children and adolescents whose response rate is high. The treatment should be used at an earlier stage of development than in adults. At the same time, the therapy can also reduce adult suffering due to its long term effects.
References
Hoekman, D. R., Vlieger, A. M., Stokkers, P. C., Mahhmod, N., Rietdijk, S., de Boer, N. K., … & Benninga, M. A. (2020). Hypnotherapy for irritable bowel syndrome-type symptoms in patients with quiescent inflammatory bowel disease: a randomized, controlled trial. Journal of Crohn’s and Colitis.
Vasant, D. H., Hasan, S. S., Cruickshanks, P., & Whorwell, P. J. (2020). Gut-focused hypnotherapy for children and adolescents with irritable bowel syndrome. Frontline Gastroenterology.
Melvin S. Marsh is a certified hypnotherapist serving Augusta GA and Statesboro GA. He performs hypnotherapy appointments both in person (although that is on hold due to covid) and worldwide virtually. He can be reached at www.afterhourshypnotherapy.com .
