Chronic IBD symptoms (such as fecal incontinence and constipation) don’t have to be chronic. A recent study in 40 patients with IBD (24 with Crohn’s disease, 12 with ulcerative colitis, and 4 with an ileo-anal pouch) showed that gut-directed behavioral treatment (pelvic muscle training, lifestyle modifications, and biofeedback therapy) could make a big difference in chronic symptoms. 77% of patients with fecal incontinence and 83% of patients with constipation reported improvements of “much better” and “very much better”. Inflammatory Bowel Disease
→Takeaway: Gut-directed behavioral treatment should be a first line therapy in relieving IBD symptoms. Researchers encourage patients to not only undergo therapy during a flare, but also in remission to improve outcomes.
