Hypnotherapy IBS Treatment: Does It Really Work?

Author's Bio: Marcie Vaske, MS, LN, CNS

Today's topic might be one that surprises you. Hypnotherapy for irritable bowel syndrome.

Yes, I'm talking about hypnosis. Commonly, when we think about hypnosis, we might be thinking about a show on stage and we're really a little bit skeptical. And for many of us thinking about hypnosis for curing or supporting IBS is probably something you haven't thought about. So today we're going to talk all about it and let's begin.

What Is Hypnotherapy?

So to get started, I want to just explain what really is hypnosis. Now. First I want to clear up that hypnotherapy isn't where someone is swinging a clock in front of your face saying you will not eat donuts anymore. Hypnotherapy for IBS is much more involved. Hypnotherapy is actually a very therapeutic modality that is done by a trained practitioner, gets you into a deeply relaxed state. You can kind of think of it as meditation, but with targeted suggestions.

How Hypnotherapy Supports IBS

Now for IBS, these targeted suggestions will be focused on calming the mind, really looking between that gut brain access, reducing gut sensitivity, and even easing anxiety that can often trigger IBS symptoms. So now we know what hypnotherapy is for IBS.

And before we dig into it any deeper, I want to introduce myself. I'm Marcie Vaske. I'm a functional licensed nutritionist with Oswald Digestive Clinic. And at Oswald Digestive Clinic, we see many people who struggle with gut health issues. And if you are struggling or know somebody who is struggling, I'm going to link our website here where you can easily make an initial appointment. I'm also going to link our free guide, which is Five Ways to Improve Your Gut Health.

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Understanding the Gut-Brain Connection

So let's dig back into this topic of hypnotherapy for IBS. So you might be thinking, well, how does hypnotherapy really going to help my stomach? And what it really comes down to is this gut brain access, this connection between our gut and our brain that's bidirectional. In IBS, this actual connection is a little bit overreactive. So where stress, anxiety, or even subconscious issues can trigger an IBS symptom and amplify those symptoms such as diarrhea or cramping or constipation or even bloating.

So essentially hypnotherapy helps to kind of turn down that dial so that there is less reactivity. Now if you are someone who has struggled with IBS or you think you're struggling with IBS, you feel oftentimes or maybe have noticed that even when you get a little stressed, it's like your gut symptoms are worse. Or if you start feeling a symptom, you start to get a little bit more anxious and then the symptoms get amplified and create even more disturbance.

Techniques Used in Gut-Directed Hypnotherapy

So by using hypnotherapy, as I said, it can calm down that connection. Just kind of calm the tension and hypnotherapist use a couple different ways of doing this. They put you into a deep relaxation state kind of guiding you through meditation so that your mind is more open to suggestions even using symptom imagery. And what this means is just like if you were an athlete and you were a pro tennis player and you use imaging to kind of feel your way through making proper swings or in any sport really. So with hypnotherapy, when they're using symptom imagery, what they're doing is bringing you through your intestinal tracts, suggesting that instead of it being irritable, you think about your intestinal tract being really kind of calm to sort of a smooth floating river, which is used to encourage normal gut motility and reduce symptoms.

What the Research Says About Hypnotherapy and IBS

So now we understand what hypnotherapy is for IBS, but we kind of see how it's done and what that connection can be. And so what does the evidence say? Sometimes we can be skeptical about different modalities that we already have a preconceived notion to. So let's talk about the evidence. So the evidence over the last few decades and specifically studies done in the UK and Australia has shown that gut directed hypnotherapy can improve symptoms in patients by 60 to 80%. And that's a big wow. So I mean that's some good evidence that saying that you can calm your symptoms, you can reduce your IBS flares by almost 80% in some people. And one of the most famous studies was done by the University of Manchester where they found that patients even had long lasting effect up to years later, which is pretty incredible. These patients reported having less symptoms in the way of bloating, gas, abdominal pain, even better motility, and therefore they were living a much more quality life.

What a Typical Hypnotherapy Session Looks Like

So now we know what hypnotherapy is, we see that there's some good evidence supporting that. This can be very beneficial with people who are struggling with IBS. So what does a typical session look like? Sessions are usually about 45 to 60 minutes and most practitioners will recommend six to 12 sessions. And in these sessions we've discussed just a little bit and touched on what they do, but one of 'em is going to be guided imagery, also teaching you how to relax and find a relaxed state, and then of course, using positive suggestions and how to calm the intestinal tract and calm you. This way there's less hypersensitivity and symptoms start to abate.

Who Can Benefit the Most from Hypnotherapy?

Now, hypnotherapy may not be for everybody, but the people that it is best for are those struggling with IBS who have already done the work to see if there's anything else behind it, meaning food intolerances, any dysbiotic bacteria, any physical actual symptom. If all of that is ruled out and you're still struggling with flares or just constant irritability with your digestive system, look into hypnotherapy. Also, for those of you out there who really have linked that, your anxiety increases your IBS, this hypnotherapy can be very beneficial as I just talked about. I mean, we're really focusing on that gut-brain connection and reducing anxiety. Another category of people that might feel that hypnotherapy is good for them will be those that don't want to take any medications and they would prefer to do everything as natural as possible. And lastly, those who really believe they can do this on their own and will do the follow-up practices at home in between sessions.

The Cost of Hypnotherapy for IBS

Now of course, hypnotherapy isn't like magic, right? I mean, if it was, we would all be doing it for those of us who have IBS and we wouldn't even be talking about it today. However, it can be another tool in your toolbox to really help you manage your IBS symptoms. And you may be wondering, okay, well this is just another expense that I might have to do or have to put money out for something that I'm not really sure is going to help. And yes, the sessions can run anywhere from 80 to $150 each, but again, it'll be in this certain practitioner that you may be meeting with. And I think about putting out that kind of money that you might feel like, yeah, that's kind of expensive. But I mean, just look at how much money you've already spent maybe on treating your IBS and you've had no success or looking long-term, how can you live your best life? If this is just one more thing that can help you reduce your symptoms and maybe even have really long lasting effects, it would be worth it because your quality of life would be so much better.

So just to wrap this all up,

Hypnotherapy is definitely a modality that can be sought out by those of you who have IBS and have no other physical connections to it other than it just gets irritated. And especially if you know that your anxiety or stress levels or even subconsciously you're having issues due to that, hypnotherapy can be a really great modality for that. So I hope that this helps you kind of take count of other things. Not always just looking at, oh, I need a medication to try to go to the bathroom or to stop going to the bathroom, or what kind of medications can reduce my abdominal cramping? I think there's so much out there now for gut health and gut health is such a layered issue. So it's not usually just one thing.

I meet with people every day struggling from a variety of different gut issues, and one thing I know for sure is it's not just a dip bad, there's usually other layered things to it. So understanding that and kind of having a well-rounded gut health plan, maybe hypnotherapy is something you would like to look into to support some of those IBS flares that you've been dealing with.

Thanks for watching us.

If you'd like to explore any of this information further or obtain an individualized nutrition plan, you can schedule an initial appointment at our clinic.  We also take insurance and some of our clients get full coverage, which is great.

Or you can just start by downloading our FREE GUIDE: 5 WAYS TO IMPROVE GUT HEALTH