GUT
Newswise — Long term benefits of hypnotherapy for irritable bowel syndrome 2003; 52: 1623-9
Hypnotherapy seems to be an effective long term treatment for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), lasting for "at least five years," conclude researchers in this month's edition of Gut.
IBS is a very common disorder and makes up half a gastroenterologist's workload. Conventional treatment of IBS often does not work very well.
The researchers base their findings on questionnaires regularly completed by over 200 patients with IBS. These patients scored their symptoms, quality of life, and levels of anxiety and depression before, immediately after, and up to six years after being given hypnotherapy. Sessions lasted one hour for up to 12 weeks.
Almost three quarters of the patients responded well to hypnotherapy (71%), and most of these did not deteriorate over time, while the remainder claimed their deterioration had been slight. Women were more likely to respond than men
Among those who responded, all registered a significant improvement in symptoms compared with what these had been like before treatment, and there was very little difference in how these were rated for more than five years after treatment.
Scoring for quality of life and levels of anxiety and depression also significantly improved, but did begin to tail off slightly over time. But patients also said they took fewer drugs and did not need to see their doctors as often after they had had a course of hypnotherapy.
The researchers say that the sustained improvements in most of the patients seen cannot be attributed to other treatments as fewer than one in 10 patients attempted alternatives after completing their hypnotherapy sessions.
The researchers, who work at the first NHS hypnotherapy unit to be established in the UK, say that previous research has found that hypnotherapy for IBS works in the short term, but their study shows that it also works in the long term.
Critics have complained that the number of sessions needed for hypnotherapy to be effective make it a costly option, but the authors contend that its sustained effects, with the accompanying reduction in use of prescription drugs and consultations with doctors, more than offset these costs.
Click here to view the full paper:http://press.psprings.co.uk/gut/november/1623_gt17244.pdf[Please note this link will remain live for one month only after issue]
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