Impact of Mindfulness Meditation on IBS
CHICAGO, IL - Research being presented at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) shows that psychological issues may play a role in the severity of gastrointestinal symptoms. Another study found that just an hour a week of low-intensity exercise decreases the risk for colon polyps, particularly among overweight and obese individuals. DDW is the largest international gathering of physicians and researchers in the field of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery.
"Research continues to show us how intricately the mind and body work together in patients with gastrointestinal illness and emphasizes how important it is to treat the whole patient, not just the disease," said Robynne Chutkan, MD, FASGE, assistant professor of gastroenterology at Georgetown University Hospital. "Exercise and meditation are just a few of the alternative techniques that health-care providers can introduce to their patients to help prevent and control the pain of disease."
Therapeutic Impact of Mindfulness Meditation on Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial (Abstract #219)
A new study comparing whether mindfulness meditation improves irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) severity and psychological symptoms more effectively than support group therapy showed that symptom severity was reduced four times more in the meditation group after an eight-week period.
Investigators led by Susan Gaylord, PhD, director of the University of North Carolina program on integrative medicine, based in the department of physical medicine and rehabilitation, sought to evaluate mindfulness meditation as a therapeutic technique for IBS since it has been reported to improve symptoms in other chronic conditions, such as fibromyalgia and depression.
"Mainstream medicine doesn't offer a cure for IBS and as many as half of patients do not see adequate improvement in their symptoms with conventional treatment," said Dr. Gaylord. "We observed significant improvements in patients' b! owel sym ptoms and quality of life with mindfulness meditation, which is a widely available and inexpensive method that can provide individuals with skills they can use for the rest of their life."
The randomized controlled study included 75 female patients between the ages of 19 and 71, with an average age of 42.7 years. Patients participated in either mindfulness meditation training or a support group offering mutual support for IBS and life problems. Each eight-week course held weekly sessions plus a half-day retreat. Participants' ratings of the credibility of their assigned intervention as therapy for IBS, measured after the first group session, were not different between the two treatment groups.
At the end of the eight-week session, overall IBS severity was reduced substantially more in the mindfulness group when compared to the support group 26.4 percent versus 6.2 percent, respectively. At the three-month follow-up period, this difference improved even further in favor of the mindfulness group, after patients ended their group participation, with a 38.2 percent reduction in severity of IBS symptoms compared with just an 11.8 percent reduction in support group patients.
Changes in quality of life impairment, visceral anxiety and psychological distress were not significantly different immediately after the eight-week period; however, all were significantly improved at the three-month follow-up period in the meditation group. There was a 12 percent dropout rate, and from the initial 75 women who began the program, 34 completed the meditation group and 32 the support group.
"Our study indicates that mindfulness mediation is a practical, widely applicable and inexpensive method to enable irritable bowel syndrome patients to improve their clinical outcomes and gain associated improvement in well-being," said co-investigator Olafur S. Palsson, PsyD. He added that this method can be learned in educational classes without the need for clinical therapists for long-term and independent ! use by i ndividuals.
While mindfulness meditation has proven beneficial for soothing IBS symptoms and improving overall quality of life and psychological functioning, it is presently unknown how this method produces these benefits. Investigators plan to research how this method causes improvements in IBS symptoms.
source: www.ddw.org
"Research continues to show us how intricately the mind and body work together in patients with gastrointestinal illness and emphasizes how important it is to treat the whole patient, not just the disease," said Robynne Chutkan, MD, FASGE, assistant professor of gastroenterology at Georgetown University Hospital. "Exercise and meditation are just a few of the alternative techniques that health-care providers can introduce to their patients to help prevent and control the pain of disease."
Therapeutic Impact of Mindfulness Meditation on Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial (Abstract #219)
A new study comparing whether mindfulness meditation improves irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) severity and psychological symptoms more effectively than support group therapy showed that symptom severity was reduced four times more in the meditation group after an eight-week period.
Investigators led by Susan Gaylord, PhD, director of the University of North Carolina program on integrative medicine, based in the department of physical medicine and rehabilitation, sought to evaluate mindfulness meditation as a therapeutic technique for IBS since it has been reported to improve symptoms in other chronic conditions, such as fibromyalgia and depression.
"Mainstream medicine doesn't offer a cure for IBS and as many as half of patients do not see adequate improvement in their symptoms with conventional treatment," said Dr. Gaylord. "We observed significant improvements in patients' b! owel sym ptoms and quality of life with mindfulness meditation, which is a widely available and inexpensive method that can provide individuals with skills they can use for the rest of their life."
The randomized controlled study included 75 female patients between the ages of 19 and 71, with an average age of 42.7 years. Patients participated in either mindfulness meditation training or a support group offering mutual support for IBS and life problems. Each eight-week course held weekly sessions plus a half-day retreat. Participants' ratings of the credibility of their assigned intervention as therapy for IBS, measured after the first group session, were not different between the two treatment groups.
At the end of the eight-week session, overall IBS severity was reduced substantially more in the mindfulness group when compared to the support group 26.4 percent versus 6.2 percent, respectively. At the three-month follow-up period, this difference improved even further in favor of the mindfulness group, after patients ended their group participation, with a 38.2 percent reduction in severity of IBS symptoms compared with just an 11.8 percent reduction in support group patients.
Changes in quality of life impairment, visceral anxiety and psychological distress were not significantly different immediately after the eight-week period; however, all were significantly improved at the three-month follow-up period in the meditation group. There was a 12 percent dropout rate, and from the initial 75 women who began the program, 34 completed the meditation group and 32 the support group.
"Our study indicates that mindfulness mediation is a practical, widely applicable and inexpensive method to enable irritable bowel syndrome patients to improve their clinical outcomes and gain associated improvement in well-being," said co-investigator Olafur S. Palsson, PsyD. He added that this method can be learned in educational classes without the need for clinical therapists for long-term and independent ! use by i ndividuals.
While mindfulness meditation has proven beneficial for soothing IBS symptoms and improving overall quality of life and psychological functioning, it is presently unknown how this method produces these benefits. Investigators plan to research how this method causes improvements in IBS symptoms.
source: www.ddw.org
