Irritable Bowel Syndrome

IBS – my fave symptom to treat, why…because 85% of overall health starts with a good digestive system. Get your tums working well & the rest falls into place.

So we all get a dodgy Tum from time to time, usually put down to stress or food however it soon passes.

The problem is when we have constant diarrhoea or constipation, swinging from one to the other, with an added mix of bloating & cramp, nice eh!
Most people at this stage try to ignore it but eventually pop to their GP to be told they have IBS. This is followed by a laxative if constipated or Imodium if stools are loose. Although this may cease the symptoms temporarily, Imodium, for example, can block the bowel for a number of days causing constipation and so the cycle continues.

Well what is IBS?

Irritable bowel syndrome, most people are given this diagnoses with no additional help or guidance & sent on their way safely. You have now been put in a box by the GP, off to a life of symptoms.

A lot of people who suffer with IBS also suffer with depression & more women are effected than men – well we are known as the more emotional species! In Chinese medicine, the stomach is known as the ‘seat of the emotions’.

This is a quote from the NHS website – brave I know quoting this one but I honestly feel so strongly about it!

‘IBS does not pose a serious threat to your physical health and does not increase your chances of developing cancer or other bowel-related conditions.’

In my opinion that’s absolute bull, through my studies of the anatomy and with experience of treating people with cancer, they have all had digestive issues at some stage. Of course I’m not saying everyone will develop cancer – but if unhealthy cells are in the gut they are more likely to be attacked by disease.

And as for other bowel related conditions, the people I have met with crohns all happened to have IBS symptoms that was left untreated, scary eh !

I’m amazed how it seems to become a fly away diagnoses & even generally dismissed by Conventional medicine.

It’s so sad because there’s plenty we can do about it. As a qualified Kinesiologist, specialising in digestive problems, to me IBS is simply a valve problem that is irritated by certain foods, emotions and and nutritional deficiencies, of which can be rectified very easily. Of course everyone is different but usually 2-3 sessions can make such a difference to the person living with IBS.

There are two valves in the digestive system, the Ileocaecal and the Houston valve. Both have a very important role in the intestinal environment. The proper function of these valves is to open and close upon demand. The Ileocaecal value prevents the backflow of faecal contents with all its toxic waste products, from the colon to the small intestine. The Houston valve is the sphincter located between the transverse and descending sections of the large intestine (colon) and it prevents decaying faecal matter from backing up into the transverse colon.

The liver meridian travels directly over the IC valve, so excessive amounts of alcohol consumed will stress this valve causing it to stick open. The result is one of the main causes of hangovers.

In my work with clients The Houston valve is relevant to almost everyone I see in clinic, as this is where we tend to keep our emotions safely tucked away, sadly the Houston valve is very misunderstood by the western world and medical professionals as they are not trained to consider how emotions may effect our body, especially the bowel. Thankfully we can help process these in kinesiology.

If you suffer from any of the below, consider a visit to your local Kinesiologist, it may be easier to treat than you think:

Many clients I treat are amazed at the quick transformation in their lives purely by listening to their body and dealing with past emotions, addressing food sensitivities and taking the relevant nutritional support, they no longer consider themselves to have IBS. Some have suffered for up to 20 years and some were diagnosed at such a young age there was almost an acceptance that this is normal for their body. Normal is having a bowel movement a couple of times a day, any more it may be a problem and any less it’s defiantly a problem.

Get in contact today I love a chat about faeces and less of the bull !