Hypnotherapy is among the best understood and most widely used treatments for IBS, and can provide patients a drug-free service to their symptoms of diarrhea, constipation, stomach pain and bloating.

There are now numerous hundreds of hypnotherapists who offer what is called "gut-directed hypnotherapy" for IBS, which takes the basic techniques of hypnotherapy and applies them straight to the abdominal pain and gastrointestinal symptoms which IBS sufferers struggle with. This type of hypnotherapy has actually been medically checked and found to be very practical to many IBS clients.

One of the very first studies of hypnotherapy for IBS was carried out by Dr Peter Whorwell, a leading professional on IBS and hypnotherapy in the UK. A trial he performed in the 1980s found that a group of IBS patients who had failed to react to other treatments showed remarkable enhancements when treated with gut-directed hypnotherapy. Given that then, other therapists have revealed comparable outcomes.

Hypnotherapy in a medical setting bears no relation to the type of phase hypnosis where volunteers are made to do outrageous things in the name of entertainment. In fact, clients remain totally in control of their own actions, and are just coaxed into a sort of deep relaxation state.
While the clients is in this state the therapist will speak with you and make favorable recommendations-- one typical method for IBS is to ask you to put your turn over your abdominal area and think of that a recovery heat is streaming from your hand to your stomach.

Some hypnotherapists will record each session for you so that you can listen to them again between your consultations, and for that reason increase the efficiency of the therapy.


If you do not have the time or the resources to visit a certified hypnotherapist, you may find some relief in among the self-hypnosis CDs offered, which can be listened to in the convenience of your own home.
While you will not get a specific treatment program from a ready-made CD, you will have the ability to gain from the basic hypnosis method, and you can pick to listen to the CDs whenever you have the time.
The IBS Audio Program, established by the UK hypnotherapist Michael Mahoney, is the most commonly used program for IBS patients, and is offered on audio CD and cassette. The program is created to be used over 100 days, and includes 4 CDs and a program brochure. The makers claim that around 80% of listeners experience a considerable reduction of pain and bowel dysfunction.

The program includes three restorative session CDs, with an intro and 5 various hypnotherapy sessions. It likewise includes a reward fourth CD (the IBS Companion), which describes IBS to non-sufferers.

One of the first studies of hypnotherapy for IBS was conducted by Dr Peter Whorwell, a leading professional on IBS and hypnotherapy in the UK. A trial he carried out in the 1980s discovered that a group of IBS victims who had stopped working to respond to other treatments revealed significant improvements when treated with gut-directed hypnotherapy. The IBS Audio Program, developed by the UK hypnotherapist Michael Mahoney, is the most widely utilized program for IBS patients, and is offered on audio CD and cassette.