Did you know hypnosis can help relieve irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms?
If you suffer from IBS and are seeking an integrative and functional approach, look no further. In addition to my role as a functional nurse nutritionist who can help you understand nutritional approaches to IBS, I now offer gut-directed hypnotherapy! Research studies have shown gut-directed hypnotherapy to be effective for up to 95% of people, but the effectiveness can vary from person to person (2). Remarkably, a 2016 study found that gut-directed hypnotherapy was just as effective as the low FODMAP (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols) diet and superior for psychological factors (4). A more recent 2022 study concluded that nurse-administered gut‐directed hypnotherapy relieved IBS symptoms and improved psychological symptoms and quality of life in both individual and group sessions (1). The 2022 study used the exact protocol I offer, The North Carolina Protocol, which was developed by Dr. Palsson and is only made available to qualified health professionals with specialized training in clinical hypnosis (1). If you are curious how gut-directed hypnotherapy can be just as beneficial as nutritional approaches for IBS and even more effective for mental health, it comes down to the gut-brain connection.
The gut-brain axis is a complex two-way communication system involving the microbiome or gut bacteria, autonomic nervous system, and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis that links the gut and the brain. The low FODMAP diet focuses on eliminating and later reintroducing foods that are known as IBS triggers due to their effects on the microbiome (4). However, the benefits of gut-directed hypnotherapy have been more strongly correlated with its impact on regulating the nervous system via the vagus nerve than its effects on the microbiome (3).
While foods can be a trigger for IBS symptoms, stress can too!
Prolonged exposure to anxiety, stress, trauma, and many other factors can lead to dysfunction in the nervous system and miscommunication between the brain and the gut, which can result in:
→ Fight or flight activation
→ Vagal nerve dysregulation
→ Less time to rest & digest
Gut-directed hypnotherapy can help to fix the 'glitch' between the gut and brain, improving the vagal nerve response to anxiety and stress to promote relaxation and allow you to enter and exit the rest and digest state properly.
Book your initial hypnosis intake session now using the link above, or schedule a free consultation to determine if hypnotherapy is right for you. You may also choose the gut-directed hypnotherapy package consisting of seven sessions, including the initial hypnosis intake session, six follow-up sessions, and a hypnosis audio recording provided after the second session.
References
Lövdahl, J., Törnblom, H., Ringström, G., Palsson, O. S., & Simrén, M. (2022). Randomised clinical trial: individual versus group hypnotherapy for irritable bowel syndrome. Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 55(12), 1501–1511. https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.16934
Palsson, O. S. (2019, February 21). Overview of published research to date on hypnosis for IBS. IBS Hypnosis. https://www.ibshypnosis.com/IBSresearch.html
Peter, J., Fournier, C., Keip, B., Rittershaus, N., Stephanou-Rieser, N., Durdevic, M., Dejaco, C., Michalskim M., & Moser, G. (2018). Intestinal microbiome in irritable bowel syndrome before and after gut-directed hypnotherapy. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 19(11), 3619. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19113619
Peters, S. L., Yao, C. K., Philpott, H., Yelland, G. W., Muir, J. G., & Gibson, P. R. (2016). Randomised clinical trial: the efficacy of gut‐directed hypnotherapy is similar to that of the low FODMAP diet for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome. Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 44(5), 447–459. https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.13706
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