Irritable bowel syndrome 101 part 10

Alternative therapy

The failure of conventional medicine to help individuals with IBS has led many people to seek alternative care. Acupuncture is widely used as a treatment for IBS. While some claim that it works, clinical evidence is scant and limited trials show that is does very little. There are hundreds of people who have tried acupuncture and found to be junk therapy. Acupuncture is a therapy still looking for a medical disorder it can cure.

Other therapies tried out in IBS include use of peppermint to relax the intestine and Probiotics. The data on both these therapies are mixed. Some say it works and others say it does not. As far as clinical evidence is concerned, there is only one study that shows mild benefit of peppermint. Most of the time the effectiveness of these therapies is only in the minds of people who sell these products.