Educate yourself about alternative medical treatments available for specific diseases and conditions. This site is presented to help you research alternative medical treatments, natural and herbal remedies and different ways of thinking about how to solve specific medical problems.  Please read our disclaimer.

Alternative Treatments for Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Alternative treatments for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) have been used by people in other cultures for many years.  Some treatments are very effective for some people.  Others may only work because the patient believes they will work, much like the way placebos sometimes work in medical experiments.  However, we believe that the more you know about the options, the more you will be able to make intelligent, informed decisions about the medical treatment, which may be right for you and your particular medical conditions.  Please read our disclaimer.

About Fevers

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is characterized by irregular bowel habits (constipation or diarrhea or an alteration between both), pain in the abdomen, discomfort and bloating. IBS is very common and it is estimated that 20% of all Americans have the condition. IBS is more common amongst women than men and often besets many people after young adulthood. Unfortunately, the cause of IBS is still unknown, though it is believed there is some disconnect between the mind and the gut. IBS can be a painful and frustrating condition that greatly alters a person’s lifestyle. Thankfully, however, there are many natural home remedies that will help to relieve the symptoms and remove some causes of the common condition.

• Acupuncture is known to help relieve many symptoms of IBS. Acupuncture often aims to relieve the symptoms of IBS on an individual basis and is helpful in alleviating constipation and diarrhea.
  
   
• Be mindful of all the triggers of your condition. It’s often best to keep a log of activities/eating habits and the onset of symptoms. The triggers of IBS can be both mental and physical. Mentally, IBS is often caused by emotional stresses and changes. Examining these stresses in relation to symptoms may indicate that certain lifestyle habits are exaggerating your IBS problem and can be corrected. Specific foods also are known to set off IBS. IBS is a highly personalized condition, and thus it’s always important to examine your specific triggers and then try to avoid them. Common foods that many must avoid include dairy products, caffeine, and certain types of alcohol like red wine and beer, as well as food that produces gas.
  
   
• If you smoke consider quitting. Smoking is known to affect the digestive tract and processes. At the very least, try to examine if your smoking and IBS have any correlation.
  
   
• Try to avoid sugarless gums and candies. The artificial sweetener of sorbitol that is used in most of these products is indigestible and therefore exaggerates IBS symptoms. While in moderation, sorbitol should not have an exceptionally detrimental effect, any excess consumption is best to pass up.
  
   
• Adding fiber to a diet can greatly diminish symptoms of diarrhea and constipation. For those who suffer from IBS insoluble fiber often proves most beneficial. Insoluble fiber is found in oat, bran, rice, corn, wheat, vegetables and beans. Sometimes, beans and/or wheat can have detrimental effects on IBS so it is best to consume fiber in a diet amenable to your specific tolerances.
  
   
• Psyllium seed has often been in use to treat gastrointestinal diseases and as a laxative. It is helpful to those with IBS, as it has a gummy coating that the human body is unable to digest. This produces an insoluble fiber that coats the lining of the intestines to help relieve constipation. It is often effective in treating diarrhea as the lining also absorbs water in the intestines.
   
• Try to stay hydrated. Fluids are important to complement fiber. Many people use the conventional approach of drinking eight eight-ounce glasses of fluids a day. However, this approach understandably needs to be adjusted if activities that lose a lot of fluids, like exercises, are incorporated into daily routines.
   
• Scientific studies have shown that peppermint oil help to relieve IBS symptoms. If you are not allergic to peppermint and it does not cause heartburn, you may want to consider taking peppermint at meals. Peppermint oil is available in capsules that can be taken with each meal. Peppermint tea offers many of the same benefits.
   
• Exercise is surprisingly important for those who suffer from IBS. Exercise helps to maintain healthy bowels. In addition, the beneficial mental effects are well documented in association with exercise as well. When starting, begin gradually as running and other strenuous exercises can cause diarrhea.
   
• Try to increase your daily intake of probiotics. Probiotics are living organisms that help the human body in beneficial ways. The most common example is the live cultures that are existent in yogurt. Probiotics help to combat detrimental bacteria in the human body. These bacteria, such as excess yeast, parasites and fungi are the agents that cause many of the symptoms that characterize IBS. Therefore the consumption of probiotics can be helpful in alleviating many IBS symptoms. In addition to yogurt, probiotics are contained in aged cheeses and cottage cheese, milk, some soy beverages, and miso.
  

Have questions about Alternative Treatments?

We recommend that you review the information about physical therapy on this website, look at the alternative medical treatments on the appropriate websites, do your own independent research, talk with your doctor or other medical professional and learn as much as you can before making the decision that is right for you.  We are not qualified to answer medical, behavioral or health related questions, so please do not ask.