Hypnotherapy was recommended by NICE in 2008 for chronic cases of irritable bowel syndrome. Click here for NICE guidelines
Dr Peter Whorwell of Manchester University Medical School is the leading expert in the treatment of IBS with hypnotherapy. Click here for more. Dr Wendy Gonalkorale is a researcher working with Dr Whorwell. Read about her research here.

Although no-one really knows the cause of irritable bowel syndrome, the methods developed by Dr Whorwell have been shown to improve the symptoms with over 70% success. Dr Whorwell explains that IBS is ideal for treatment with hypnosis. "During hypnotherapy, sufferers learn how to influence and gain control of their gut function, and then seem able to change the way the brain modulates their gut activity. We have found it to help all the symptoms, whereas some of the drugs available reduce only a few".  As you will know, IBS is called a functional disorder because it is the function of the gut which is impaired rather than the tissue itself. Often in trying to work out the cause of IBS , invasive investigations are carried out which can cause permanent structural damage. Hypnosis is a non-invasive treatment, and it has a successful track record. Here is a useful IBS factsheet

Hypnosis works by guiding you in a structured way to imagine your gut well and healthy. How does that work then? In hypnosis, one of the key techniques used is the ideomotor response. Brain imaging shows that when we think about doing something,  the brain lights up in the same way as when we actually move that part of the body. If you now imagine saying to yourself “Red lorry yellow lorry” you will notice that your tongue is working ever so slightly, not saying the words out loud, but the muscles working nonetheless. That is the ideomotor response. Thinking is doing.

So in hypnosis, you focus your thoughts on your gut. Now, that requires a bit more practice than using your tongue. You don’t have quite as clear a link between your gut and your brain as with your tongue and brain. But with practice, with a skilled hypnotist, this link is made. Then you think about your gut being well, and in 70% of cases (according to Dr Peter Whorwell of Manchester University) your gut gets better. It takes about 12 sessions, and thereafter, you have made the brain-gut link and can keep yourself well.