Category Archives: Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Is there a role for acupuncture in functional gastrointestinal disease?

Doctors use the word “functional” to describe symptoms or problems when they can find no anatomical abnormality.

Researchers from the University of Texas Medical Branch, in Galveston reviewed the evidence using acupuncture and electro acupuncture. Continue reading Is there a role for acupuncture in functional gastrointestinal disease?

Making a case for an endocannabinoid deficiency

Dr. Ethan Russo (no relation) is a consultant for GW Pharmaceuticals and a proponent of medical marijuana.

This article is the latest justification that “migraine, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and related conditions display common clinical, biochemical and pathophysiological patterns that suggest an underlying clinical endocannabinoid deficiency that may be suitably treated with cannabinoid medicines.” Continue reading Making a case for an endocannabinoid deficiency

Positive results with peppermint oil to treat irritable bowel syndrome

In general, past entries on this topic were positive, although peppermint oil gets a “C” rating (inconsistent or limited-quality patient-oriented evidence) for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Maybe so, but here is another supportive study that tested the effectiveness of enteric-coated peppermint oil in a well-defined group of patients. Continue reading Positive results with peppermint oil to treat irritable bowel syndrome

Is CAM cost effective treatment?

Three criteria determine drug reimbursement decisions: therapeutic value, cost effectiveness, and burden of disease. Now, an article from Erasmus University in The Netherlands questions whether it’s sufficient for a drug to meet these criteria, and proposes a 4th hurdle.

Consider how CAM would hold up under such scrutiny based on what we know today. Continue reading Is CAM cost effective treatment?