4 alternative ways you can treat IBS

Irritable bowel syndrome is not only painful, but can affect you for your entire life. But if you're seeking relief, these easy methods could help you control the symptoms and get back to your life.

• In one study from India, men with IBS had equal reductions in diarrhea after two months of daily yoga or two months of daily doses of the over-the-counter drug loperamide.
• Yoga seemed to soothe overactive nerves that stimulate bowel activity, reported researchers from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences.
• A Canadian study of teenagers with IBS found that doing yoga routines as instructed in a video daily for a month eased anxiety.

• In one British study, people with IBS who tried five sessions of hypnotherapy had less pain and diarrhea after three months.
• Benefits faded over time. After a year, the hypnosis group needed less medication to control IBS, but their symptoms were about the same as the nonhypnosis group.
• In another study, people who got 12 sessions over three months were still feeling better five years later.
• Ask your doctor for a referral to a licensed practitioner trained in "gut-directed" hypnotherapy, a technique that teaches you how to ease your own symptoms.

•  This practical type of counselling is aimed at helping you perceive and respond to everyday problems in new ways and to find solutions that really work.
• You may also work on relaxation skills.
• Some studies find a benefit for IBS, while others don't. Still others have found that it works for a little while, but then the effects wear off.
• It may be worth a try if you find that coping with IBS is overwhelming or if you just can't do all the things you want or need to do in your life.
• Cognitive therapy seems to work best as an add-on therapy along with medications.

• If you're bothered by constipation, learning how to properly use your abdominal muscles during a bowel movement could improve results — and make you feel better.
• In an Australian study, 25 women with IBS used biofeedback to help them. A doctor and nurse gave them "advanced training" in the proper way to push out stools without straining.
• This type of biofeedback uses a probe inserted in the rectum to measure pressure exerted on stools. The result: 75 percent reported that things had improved.
• Other types of biofeedback can help people with IBS learn to control stress, too.

If you suffer from IBS, there are ways you could get relief outside of prescription medication. Be sure to consult with your physician about any alternative treatments you undertake to make sure they're right for you.