Hypnotherapy: First line treatment for children with irritable bowel syndrome?

摘要

Trance-like states have been recognised for millennia with the term hypnosis being coined by James Braid (1795-1860) a surgeon working in Manchester, England.1 Since that time the technique has moved in and out of fashion and even today is still regarded with some scepticism. However, over the last 25 years there has been a steady stream of studies indicating that in adults gut focused hypnotherapy helps to relieve the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and other functional gastrointestinal disorders with the benefits being sustained for many years.