Hypnotherapy for Inflammatory Bowel Disease Across the Lifespan

Abstract

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by lifelong relapsing gastrointestinal symptoms and associated with high rates of chronic pain, depression, and anxiety. In this review the author covers the existing literature including randomized controlled studies, open trials, and case reports as well as expert opinion in evaluating how hypnotherapy can be most beneficial in adolescents and adults with IBD. Hypnotherapy evidence for functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) is also reviewed as many of the gut-focused hypnotherapy (GHT) approaches used in IBD trials were developed for this latter population. Collectively, the strongest evidence of use of hypnotherapy is its association with reduced IBD-related inflammation and improved health-related quality of life with mixed results in terms of its effects on psychological and pain outcomes in adults with IBD. Studies of hypnotherapy for FGID symptoms show consistently more positive results. Post-operative hypnotherapy may also be helpful based on findings in other surgical samples. Adolescents with IBD have not been as systematically studied but small case series support the use of hypnotherapy to improve inflammation and pain. Future studies are needed to better delineate the specific brain-gut pathways which are most influenced by hypnotherapy in the IBD population and to investigate the longer-term course of the positive short-term findings.