Naperville Integrated Wellness
NAPERVILLE'S TOP RATED LOCAL® FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE FACILITY
Irritable Bowel Syndrome Treatment with Functional Medicine
Irritable Bowel Syndrome Treatment
What is it?
What causes it?
Functional medicine solutions for IBS in Naperville
IBS is one of the most common digestion disorders we treat in our office. Offering an Irritable Bowel Syndrome Treatment with functional medicine can provide a great natural solution towards IBS. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a disorder that affects the large intestine. Signs and symptoms include cramping, abdominal pain, bloating, gas, and diarrhea or constipation, or both. IBS doesn’t cause changes in bowel tissue or increase your risk of colorectal cancer. IBS is not diagnosed by colonoscopy, blood tests or MRI. It is a functional bowel disorder. As a functional medicine doctor, my goal is to identify the root cause or causes of IBS. To decide if you have IBS, doctors use the “Rome IV criteria.” Diagnostic Criteria for Irritable Bowel Syndrome: The Rome IV criteria for the diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome require that: Patients had recurrent abdominal pain on average at least one day per week during the previous three months, with onset at least six months previously, of recurrent abdominal pain or discomfort* associated with two or more of the following: https://badgut.org/information-centre/a-z-digestive-topics/rome-iii-diagnosis-criteria-for-ibs/ The four main subtypes of IBS are: https://irritablebowelsyndrome.net/clinical/new-rome-iv-diagnostic-criteria/ IBS-C is characterized by less frequent bowel movements often resulting in constipation as a symptom. Other symptoms include bloating, abdominal pain or cramping and excessive gas. On occasion, a patient with IBS-C can also experience diarrhea as well as this can happen with constipated individuals. IBS-D is characterized by more frequent bowel movements often resulting in diarrhea as a symptom. Many of these individuals complain of inconsistency in bowel movements, some more firm and others loose to watery. IBS-D patients may also complain of a sense of urgency, abdominal discomfort and/or bloating. IBS-M is characterized by a mix of diarrhea and constipation. A person may report a sense of urgency at times and incomplete evacuation at times. Abdominal pain and cramping are common as is bloating and fullness. IBS-U doesn’t fit into any of the other subtypes as the symptoms are perhaps less frequent or severe. Not unlike other IBS subtypes, it can be driven by stress, gut pathogens, nutrient deficiencies, dysbiosis, food allergies/sensitivities, and more. For example, a patient with an IBS-U bowel infection syndrome will need to eradicate the infection and restore a healthy microbiome. For any functional gut dysfunction, it is important to get to the root cause of the problem to resolve the condition. The goal of functional medicine is to uncover and treat the underlying cause of the symptoms thereby removing the obstacles for healing. This allows the body to heal and correct the imbalances created by the condition. Functional medicine diarrhea scenario might go as follows: A patient may be experiencing gas and diarrhea daily that seems to get worse with stress and certain types of foods. What to expect with a functional medicine approach: A functional medicine provider will collect a thorough history including events that may have led to the onset of symptoms. Family history, dietary habits and lifestyle information will also be obtained, and the doctor will determine the appropriate blood testing that is needed. Once this information is collected the doctor will ascertain the appropriate functional testing needed. This will include but is not limited to a comprehensive digestive stool analysis. Many functional medicine patients have been to several doctors looking for answers, so it is important to discuss what tests have already been done to rule out certain more serious health conditions. Once the testing is completed and results are obtained, a functional medicine doctor will treat the environment of the gut to restore proper function. It is important to understand that a functional medicine approach is not typically a fast-acting treatment option. This type of care often requires time and effort to experience the healing that is necessary for improved health. “Functional GI disorders are disorders of gut–brain interaction. It is a group of disorders classified by GI symptoms related to any combination of the following: motility disturbance, visceral hypersensitivity, altered mucosal and immune function, altered gut microbiota, and altered central nervous system processing.” A person with a functional GI disorder may experience problems with: Altered movement of food or waste through the bowel leading to constipation or loose stool. The sensation of pain is heightened; you experience more pain than would be expected. This would include changes in the barrier system of the gut (gut lining) and the immune response of the gut. Most of your immune system is located in and around the digestive tract. This would include leaky gut and food sensitivities or food allergies. This would include infections due to harmful bacteria, parasites or yeast. Yeast overgrowth in the gut is a very common problem, as is overgrowth of bacteria/yeast in the small intestine; called SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth). The central nervous system includes your brain and spinal cord. Altered processing would occur in the brain. The brain receives a great deal of information to “process” from the vagus nerve (you have 2 vagus nerves; right and left). The vagus nerve is the primary nervous connection between your brain and your digestive tract. Rome IV emphasizes that the best management for functional GI disorders requires a biopsychosocial approach. IBS is a complex disorder influenced by digestive abnormalities, gut-brain axis issues, microbiome imbalances, food sensitivities, serotonin irregularities, genetics, post-infectious changes, and hormonal fluctuations. Treatment focuses on personalized approaches including diet, lifestyle adjustments, stress management, and medications. Abnormalities in the nerves in your digestive system may cause you to experience discomfort when your abdomen stretches from gas or stool. Poorly coordinated signals between the brain and the intestines can cause your body to overreact to changes that normally occur in the digestive process, resulting in pain, diarrhea or constipation. The vagus nerve provides a direct link between your brain and your digestive system. This nerve is part of your parasympathetic nervous system…the “rest and digest” nervous system. Stress of any kind stimulates the opposing nervous system called the sympathetic nervous system…the “fight or flight” nervous system. Increased sympathetic nervous system activation shuts down effective digestion and leads to functional bowel disorders like IBS. Your digestive system also has its own “brain” called the enteric nervous system. The word enteric means related to or occurring in the intestines. The walls of the intestines are lined with layers of muscle that contract as they move food through your digestive tract. Contractions that are stronger and last longer than normal can cause gas, bloating and diarrhea. Weak intestinal contractions can slow food passage and cause constipation or hard stool. The muscles of the intestine are controlled by your nervous system. IBS can develop after a severe bout of diarrhea (gastroenteritis) caused by bacteria or a virus. This can alter how the immune system of the gut works and also affect the nerves of the gut. IBS might also be associated with a surplus of bacteria in the intestines (bacterial overgrowth). This is more common with people who have constipation. SIBO is often found in those who have low stomach acid production or use antacids. Examples include changes in bacteria, fungi and viruses, which normally reside in the intestines and play a key role in health. Research indicates that the microbes in people with IBS might differ from those in healthy people. Many factors will determine the state of your microbiome; stress levels, medications, diet, other diseases, living environment…if you live alone or with others…even pets like cats and dogs can influence our microbiome. People exposed to stressful events, especially in childhood, tend to have more symptoms of IBS. Early stressors can alter how our genes express themselves. This concept is called epigenetics…how our environment alters genetic expression. Early life stressors can change the way or brains process information and establish neurological pathways that do not facilitate a healthy stress response or a healthy and functional digestive tract. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/irritable-bowel-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-2036001 Unfortunately, the “stressor” that brain is trying to protect the body from does not even exist in most cases. We image all sorts of stressful and unwanted things happening to us all of the time! Your digestive system is affected by the 3 major regulatory systems of the body. All 3 are negatively affected by stress and all 3 affect the digestive system. IBS is a function disorder of the digestive system. Functional medicine doctors look for the root cause of health problems. As you can see, there may be more than one root cause for IBS. I have worked with IBS patients now for over 20 years and most of those patients had some level of dysfunction in all 3 major regulating systems. Nervous system, immune system and hormonal system. Who should you reach out to if you think you have IBS? Since IBS is a functional disorder, it responds best to a functional solution. Mainstream medical treatment does not address functional health problems, or at least they don’t treat the cause of the problem. Most often, if treated at all, the symptoms may be addressed with medication. For example, stress induced IBS may be treated with an antidepressant or anti-anxiety medication; abdominal discomfort could be treated with a muscle relaxant; you may also purchase over the counter a treatment for diarrhea called Imodium; or your doctor may prescribe loperamide, for example. You may choose to treat your constipation with Metamucil, or your doctor may prescribe lactulose. You see, many treatments do not even evaluate the cause of your IBS (other more serious causes will have been ruled out). If you have a functional health concern, look for natural solutions for your IBS. A natural irritable bowel solutions treatment should be treated by a functional medicine doctor. The functional doctor will identify the factors that are causing your individual case of IBS. Contact Dr. Sharon Borkowski to schedule a free phone consultation on our irritable bowel syndrome treatment! Functional medicine seeks to grasp bodily operations, identify health issues through targeted investigation, interpret findings meaningfully, and devise action plans to reverse and address the root causes of health problems. Here’s to wishing you robust health, boundless happiness, and a life of improved quality! Empower yourself with research, stay informed, and don’t hesitate to ask questions. Be vigilant about the source of information, as healthcare is inundated with misleading, outdated, profit-driven, and biased data, even from reputable sources and organizations. This healthcare approach is not meant to diagnose, treat, cure, mitigate, or prevent any disease. The article is for informational purposes only and should not replace professional healthcare services. Please contact our office for more information.IBS is a functional GI disorder.
How is IBS diagnosed?
*Discomfort means an uncomfortable sensation not described as pain.What Are The Types of IBS
IBS-C
IBS-D
IBS-M
IBS-U
IBS Functional Medicine Solutions
What To Expect With A Natural Approach To IBS
Functional Medicine Treats The Functional GI Disorder
Motility disturbance
Visceral Hypersensitivity
Altered mucosal and immune functionAltered gut microbiota
Altered central nervous system processing
A Natural IBS Treatment… Is The best treatment
Biopsychosocial…
Most Common Causes of IBS
Nervous system
Brain, vagus nerve, enteric nervous system, parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system…Muscle contractions in the intestine
Infection
SIBO
Changes in gut microbes
Early life stress
Stress
The bottom line is that stress is never good for the digestive tract…early or later in life. When you are under stress, your brain is not concerned with digestion. It believes the body is somehow under threat…a threat is that is here and now. It is not a state of protection mode; preparing the body to fight the danger or flee from it. Stress affects digestion through several mechanisms:
Schedule A Naperville Irritable Bowel Syndrome Treatment Appointment Today
Contact Us Today To Speak To A Natural Irritable Bowel Solution