A patient with long-standing irritable bowel syndrome came to her gastroenterologist after a flare, indicating that she had stopped responding to her medication
She didn’t know what to do with the stress anymore and wanted to try a more natural method. The physician looked at her blankly and said, “We don’t offer any of that here.”
We can do better.
Chronic gastrointestinal disorders can be multi-faceted, and patients may not always respond to conventional care. I think we can all agree that psychosocial factors have a profound impact on GI functioning and there is mounting evidence supporting the negative impact that stress has on gut health.