Woodland Hills residents living with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) might want to consider trying out some meditation techniques to help them with their medical condition, with a new pilot study from Massachusetts General Hospital suggesting that the practice could have a big impact on clinical symptoms.
Carried out in collaboration with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, the study found that after taking part in a nine-week training program that focused on stress reduction, health-enhancing behaviours and cognitive skills, as well as relaxation response training, people reported improved disease-related symptoms, better quality of life and less anxiety.
“Our results suggest exciting possibilities for further developing and implementing this treatment in a wider group of patients with gastrointestinal illness. Several studies have found that stress management techniques and other psychological interventions can help patients with IBS,” Dr Braden Kuo of the Gastrointestinal Unit in the MGH Department of Medicine remarked.
There are other ways you can handle the condition if you do happen to suffer with IBS and concentrating on your diet is one of the main ways to do so. Modifying the amount of fiber you intake is advisable – if you have diarrhea, consider cutting back on insoluble fiber (bran, cereals, nuts and seeds), while if you’re constipated increase the amount of soluble fiber in your diet (oats, barley, rye, fruit and root vegetables).
Your symptoms may also improve if you follow regular meal times, eat slowly, don’t miss meals and drink at least eight cups of liquid each day, such as water or herbal tea.
