# Medscape:Behavioral Therapy Improves Management of Irritable Bowel Syndrome



## eric (Jul 8, 1999)

This was in medscape today. FYI:Also hypnosis is probably the top of the list in therapy and then cognitive therapy from what I have read. Behavioral Therapy Improves Management of Irritable Bowel Syndrome WESTPORT, May 01 (Reuters Health) - Patients with (IBS) benefit from multi-component behavioral therapy in addition to standard medical treatment, researchers in Germany report. Dr. Ingeborg Heymann-Monnikes, of Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany, and colleagues compared the benefits of multi-component behavioral therapy and standard medical treatment with standard medical treatment alone. Twenty-four outpatients with IBS were randomly selected to receive standardized multi-component behavioral therapy plus standard medical treatment or standard medical treatment alone. According to the researchers, "standardized multi-component behavioral therapy included IBS information and education, progressive muscle relaxation, training in illness-related cognitive coping strategies, problem-solving and assertiveness training in 10 sessions over 10 weeks." Evaluations of the patients were conducted over 14 weeks with follow-up evaluations at 3 months and for the multi-component behavioral therapy group again at 6 months, according to the report in the April issue of the American Journal of Gastroenterology. Subjects kept a daily IBS diary in which they were asked to note "intensity, frequency, duration, unendurability and impact on daily life activities of each of 20 IBS-related symptoms." The researchers also gave the participants a battery of six psychological tests. The investigators found that there was a significant reduction in  IBS symptoms "as measured by daily symptom diaries" for the standardized multi-component behavioral therapy group compared with the standard medical treatment group. In addition, "overall well-being significantly improved in the standardized multi-component behavioral therapy group but remained unchanged in the standard medical treatment group." Also, patients in the standardized multi-component behavioral therapy group "felt significantly more in control of their health." Reported quality of life also significantly improved for this group while remaining unchanged for the standard medical treatment group. Am J Gastroenterol 2000;95:981-994. ------------------ http://webpotential.com/ericibs/index.htm


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## JeanG (Oct 20, 1999)

Great article, Eric, and thanks for posting it. It would be interesting to combine the hypnosis with behavioral therapy -- a double whammy!







JeanG------------------Member of "The Advance Guard for the Ozone Rangers".May the "farce" be with you. JeanG


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## eric (Jul 8, 1999)

Jean, cognitive therapy works on the concious level and hypnosis on the unconcious level which controlls the enteric nervous system which is why it seems hypnosis works better. I would not recommend you do both, I would do one or the other and not confuse the treatments as they work differently. Just FYI.------------------ http://webpotential.com/ericibs/index.htm


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## Guest (May 1, 2000)

I have been seeing someone and using cognitive therapy (as I have a hard time accepting that this is IBS - Had all the tests ect)I have faith and belive that it is helping - its only been 3 weeks so time will tell !Had not thought of hypnotherapy !Thanks for the article Eric - your Web site is great !!!!


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## JeanG (Oct 20, 1999)

Hi Eric:I hadn't thought of that - conscious or subconscious levels. Anyway, I'm happy with the hypnosis, and don't plan to do the other.







JeanG------------------Member of "The Advance Guard for the Ozone Rangers".May the "farce" be with you. JeanG


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