Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common chronic bowel disorder affecting 10-20% of the population. Symptoms include abdominal pain and distention, pain relief with bowel action, a feeling of incomplete evacuation, and frequent, loose stools with mucous.

No standardized treatment exists, and the medical approach has been to manage symptoms with drugs, dietary modification, and counseling. A clinical trial of traditional Chinese treatments of IBS reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association provides an excellent example of the use of a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of IBS.

Study participants were randomized into three groups: one receiving individualized herbal formulations, another a standard Chinese IBS formulation, and the third a placebo. Both Chinese herbal medicine groups responded significantly better than the placebo group. Initially the standardized formula was slightly more effective than the individualized formula, but 14 weeks after completion of treatment it was found that subjects receiving the individualized treatment maintained improvement, while the treatment effect appeared to weaken somewhat in the standard formula group.

This well-controlled study successfully demonstrated that Chinese herbal medicine is indeed effective in the management of symptoms related to irritable bowel syndrome, and showed that best results were obtained in the long term by individualizing the treatment to the patient and correcting the underlying imbalance.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome Symptoms

Common symptoms of IBS include bloating, gas, abdominal discomfort and erratic bowel movements. While symptoms vary from person to person, a common experience we hear over and over is that people go to their health care provider to determine the cause of their chronic digestive problems and complete a variety of lab tests including colonoscopy or endoscopy in which a tube is inserted through the mouth or rectum to visualize various potions of the digestive tract, stool tests for parasites or hidden blood, as well as other various blood and imaging tests (eg CAT scans). Often these tests turn up no evidence of disease and the person is told they have IBS. Most commonly, they are advised to try to reduce their stress and add more fiber to their diets.

While these recommendations are always good advice and sometimes help improve symptoms, they may not get to the root causes of irritable bowel syndrome. In mainstream medical thought, IBS is a diagnosis of exclusion; that is, diagnostic tests are ordered to rule out serious diseases such as colon cancer, parasitic infections or inflammatory bowel disease. Once these are ruled out, IBS is most often the chosen diagnosis. Because mainstream diagnostic tests focus on diagnosis of disease processes, they often miss functional disturbances which may be significant causes of IBS symptoms.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome Lab Tests

We often use two common functional tests to help determine underlying causes of chronic gastrointestinal complaints and IBS.

The first is the Comprehensive Digestive Stool Analysis (CDSA), a panel of tests which looks for evidence of maldigestion, malabsorption, abnormal intestinal bacteria and ecology and abnormal intestinal function. The CDSA is a stool test collected at home and sent to the lab. We have found the CDSA to be a very useful tool for uncovering imbalances which are not typically discovered in other types of tests. The results can lead to diet and treatment strategies which often improve one's symptoms by addressing underlying causes of digestive problems.

The second most common test we order for people with IBS is a Food Antibody Assessment which uses a blood test to look for immune system reactions and antibody reactions to common foods. This test is able to determine whether there are any classic food allergies present and if there are other immunological reactions to foods which may contribute to a variety of health problems including IBS. Use of either or both of these tests often provide insights to both the practitioner and the patient which may lead to significant reduction in symptoms and improvements in overall health and well-being.

If you suspect you have irritable bowel syndrome or know someone who does, speak with us to see if either of these tests are right for you.

SOMA Acupuncture & Natural Health Clinic Carl Hangee-Bauer, ND, LAc 1615 20th St • San Francisco CA 94107 • 415-643-6600 Website: www.SOMAacupuncture.com Naturopathic Medicine • Acupuncture • Herbal Medicine • Supplements Nutrition • Women's Health • Weight Loss • Breast Thermography Smoking Cessation • Work-Related Injuries