April is Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Awareness Month.
IBS is a chronic gastrointestinal disorder that affects approximately 13%-20% of people in Canada. Known symptoms of IBS include abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, and/or diarrhea. At this time, unfortunately, there is no cure for IBS, but several treatments could be beneficial to manage the symptoms of this condition and to have a better quality of life.
What is the treatment in physiotherapy?
The pelvic floor muscles control defecation. People with IBS may have a dyssynergic pelvic floor, meaning the muscle may contract when passing stool and relax when holding. This causes incomplete defecation, bouts of constipation, hemorrhoids, difficulty holding back bowel movements, and even bowel incontinence. Pelvic perineal rehabilitation physiotherapy can help you regain control and coordination of these muscles to improve bowel movement and continence.
Abdominal and pelvic pain associated with IBS can be partly explained by the viscerosomatic reflex. Just as people with a heart attack may experience pain referred to the left shoulder, abdominal-pelvic pain is also referred by irritation of the gastrointestinal system. Additionally, studies have shown that stress increases the sensitivity of the gastrointestinal system in IBS, which increases pain and muscle spasms in the adjacent area. Physiotherapy can help manage these pains through myofascial mobilization of the affected tissues, as well as relaxation exercises to calm the oversensitive system.
What is the treatment in nutrition?
Who says digestion, says nutrition. Indeed, constipation and diarrhea are addressed in the majority of patients who consult in nutrition. A comprehensive nutrition assessment can identify if the intake of certain nutrients, such as water and fiber, is adequate and modify your diet if it is not. In addition to helping you manage your symptoms, meeting with a nutritionist-dietitian can help you maintain adequate nutritional status and improve your quality of life, by reducing symptoms and the food-related anxiety that often accompanies this syndrome. .
When talking about nutrition in connection with irritable bowel syndrome, it is difficult to miss the famous “FODMAPs”. These nutrients are often poorly tolerated by people with IBS and the basis of their symptoms. Meeting with a nutritionist-dietitian can not only help you go through the laborious process of the FODMAP diet, but also identify the foods at the source of your symptoms, always in a personalized way and adapted to your lifestyle.
In addition, people who suffer from this syndrome are more at risk of developing an eating disorder, because of the anxiety related to the food that it generates. Nutritionists-dietitians are sensitive to this issue; nutrition care is always adapted to favor a good relationship with food and your body. Being followed by a food professional ensures that your health and nutrition are in good hands, saving you hours of Google searches on FODMAPs, which would only increase your stress (and possibly your symptoms!)
What is the treatment in osteopathy?
Osteopathy, through its global approach, will investigate the different systems of the body in order to address what could cause the inflammation experienced by irritable bowel syndrome. First of all, it will be necessary to see the relationship between the “container” (the pelvis and the spine) and its “content” (the organs, the viscera). For example, if certain vertebrae are found to be dysfunctional, they can have repercussions on the functioning and mobility of the digestive organs, among others. The reverse will also be true. It will then be the job of the osteopath to ensure that all the organs move well, because a hypomobile organ (loss of mobility) can lead to inflammation.
Also, the brain-bowel axis, which can be affected by the stress experienced on a daily basis, can be approached in osteopathy.
The digestive system is located between two diaphragms; the thoracic the one that will make room for your lungs, and the pelvic diaphragm, the perineum which will help, in particular, to keep you from urinating. The osteopath will ensure the balance of the pressures; thus an “overload” of both thoracic and pelvic pressures could affect it.
By his global approach, his listening and his different techniques, the osteopath will accompany you throughout the session by adapting to your needs and giving you personalized advice.
Source:
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Cindy Luo
Physiotherapist
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Mélissa Laroche
Osteopath
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Jasmine Brousseau
Registered Dietitian
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Aude Vivet
Osteopath