Public release date 29-Mar, 2005

Source - York Daily Record

HEALTH & FITNESS; Hypnosis As Digestive Help

A link exists between the digestion and central nervous systems. Even though doctors do not know what causes irritable bowel syndrome, they know it can be related to stress, said Dr. James Srour of Gastroenterology Associates of York. Barry Hart, a Springettsbury Township psychologist, believes hypnosis could help some patients learn to relax their bodies.

Research has found hypnosis to be an effective therapy, primarily for people with abdominal pain and diarrhea, but it doesn't work well for people who are constipated, Srour said. He places hypnosis in the category of a complementary treatment to traditional medicine. Irritable bowel syndrome is a functional disorder, he said. That means there is nothing wrong with the structure of a person's bowel it's the way the intestine is contracting that is abnormal, he said. Srour tells his patients to think about their leg muscles contracting. "The digestive system is muscular all the way from the mouth on down," he said. "Just imagine having a charleyhorse in your gut."

About 30 percent of people treated at gastroenterologist offices have symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, he said. Doctors diagnose the syndrome by ruling out other illnesses, such as Crohn's disease and colon cancer, he said. Many of the people doctors see are younger, either adolescents or adults in their 20s, but the syndrome can start at any age. When a person starts having symptoms and they are age 45 and older, doctors often will check for more serious problems, such as colon cancer, Srour said. "There is a lot of angst caused by the symptoms," he said. For some people, just receiving a diagnosis is comforting. Others take steps to reduce their anxiety. Srour said he's known people to switch jobs and deal with family stresses. Patients may also keep food diaries to see what particular foods are upsetting their bodies. Medicines may be prescribed, Srour said.

About three-fourths of the people Hart treats in therapy find some benefit from hypnosis in controlling their pain, he said. "Patients either have no response or a positive response, but there is no negative response as long as (hypnosis) is used competently," Hart said. Through hypnosis, Hart does not try to control a person, but tap into the person's own ability to heal himself, he said. He helps a person learn how to calm himself. During hypnosis he might suggest a person think of a meandering stream moving at the proper flow or of a warm hand being placed on their stomach. Personality traits that suggest a person would be more receptive to hypnosis include being creative or imaginative; having a history of sleepwalking; having the ability to get lost in a good conversation or a good book and lose track of time; as well as being able to place trust in a therapist, Hart said. Studies have shown patients who have irritable bowel syndrome respond well to hypnosis, if they are able to be hypnotized, he said.