Use Hypnosis to Treat Dyspepsia

Saturday, January 09, 2010 by: Steve G. Jones, Ed.S.
Tags: dyspepsia, hypnosis, health news

(NewsTarget) Dyspepsia is a very common gastrointestinal disorder. Researchers and doctors are not sure what the underlying causes are of the disorder, which makes treating dyspepsia somewhat challenging. However, researchers have found that hypnotherapy has helped treat the symptoms of the disorder.

The major symptom of dyspepsia is upper abdominal pain which is not caused by a type of disease. The symptoms often overlap with irritable bowel syndrome and researchers believe that both could be a result of the same disorder. Some theories as to what causes dyspepsia include acid secretion, stiff stomach, delayed stomach emptying, and stomach hypersensitivity.

When diagnosing dyspepsia, other disorders must be ruled out including diabetes, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and peptic ulcers. Treatment of dyspepsia often depends on the patients symptoms. The Mayo Clinic suggests lifestyle changes and behavioral therapy to treat the disorder.

Hypnosis has already been shown to be a highly effective treatment for irritable bowel syndrome. One study aimed at researching the effect of hypnosis on dyspepsia. The study consisted of 126 participants diagnosed with functional dyspepsia. They received hypnotherapy, supportive therapy and placebo, or medical treatment. Dyspepsia symptoms were analyzed before treatment began, after the 16-week treatment, and during a 56-week follow-up.

Results of the study showed that the hypnotherapy group saw more improvement in the short-term (16 weeks) compared to the therapy and medication groups. Looking at the long-term results, the hypnotherapy group showed significantly improved symptoms. Of the participants in the study, 73% of those in the hypnosis group reported improvement, compared to 34% of the therapy group and 43% of the medicine group.

Hypnosis is often overlooked for use in medical treatments due to misconceptions and to few doctors being trained in hypnotherapy. However, due to the effective treatment of irritable bowel syndrome with hypnosis, multiple studies have been conducted involving hypnosis and the treatment of upper digestive function and dyspepsia.

Hypnosis works effectively to treat dyspepsia due to the therapeutic nature of hypnosis. Hypnotherapy gives the dyspepsia sufferer the power to focus their attention on healing the pained areas. It has also been shown to speed up the emptying of the stomach. Shortening gastric emptying helps ease the symptoms of dyspepsia and improves the quality of life for the dyspepsia sufferer. Since researchers do not know the cause of many gastrointestinal and gastroesophageal disorders, they often have to treat the symptoms. Hypnotherapy is a natural form of treatment that has been shown to be highly effective.

Sources

Calvert, E.L., Houghton, L.A., Cooper, P., Morris, J., & Whorwell, P.J. (2002) Long-term improvement in functional dyspepsia using hypnotherapy. Gastroenterology, 123, 1778-1785.

Chiarioni, G., Vantini, I., De Iorio, F., & Benini, L. (2006). Prokinetic effect of gut-oriented hypnosis on gastric emptying. Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 23(8), 1241-1249.

Chiarioni, G., Palsson, O.S., & Whitehead, W.E. (2008). Hypnosis and upper digestive function and disease. World Journal of Gastroenterology, 14(41), 6276-6284.

About the author

Steve G. Jones, Ed.S. has been practicing hypnotherapy since the 1980s. He is the author of 22 books on Hypnotherapy. Steve is a member of the National Guild of Hypnotists, American Board of Hypnotherapy, president of the American Alliance of Hypnotists, on the board of directors of the Los Angeles chapter of the American Lung Association, and director of the Steve G. Jones School of Clinical Hypnotherapy.
Steve G. Jones, Ed.S. is a board certified Clinical Hypnotherapist. He has a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Florida (1994), a master's degree in education from Armstrong Atlantic State University (2007), and is currently working on a doctorate in education, Ed.D., at Georgia Southern University. Learn more at:
http://www.betterlivingwithhypnosis.com/