Research Study: Homeopathy and Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a condition that affects the large intestine. IBS is quite prevalent, and there are many symptoms that can be present in a patient including cramping, pain, bloating, gas, diarrhoea, constipation. This is a chronic condition that often requires long term management.

IBS is one of those conditions for which there is no consensus on the optimum treatment.

“Gastroenterology problems are some of the most common conditions treated by homeopaths, yet few trials have explored the effectiveness of individualised homeopathic treatment for IBS. A three-armed trial was conducted which compared: usual care, homeopathic treatment plus usual care and supportive listening plus usual care…A post-hoc test comparing homeopathic treatment plus usual care to usual care alone found a statistically significant difference in favour of homeopathic treatment. In addition, 62.5 percent of patients in the homeopathic treatment arm (compared to 25.0 percent of those in the usual care arm), achieved a clinically relevant change in irritable bowel symptom severity score, which indicates a promising effect for homeopathic treatment.”