[Testimonial] Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Therapy Malaysia: mind-brain-body treatment

My major health concern is that I have Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) problem. I was looking for ways to solve and through online searching, I found Hiro Koo, a Clinical Hypnotherapist in SOL healthcare centre. I had been through a lot of treatments and therapies outside, both Chinese and Western but there is still no help to my problem until I found SOL.

In confidence, Hiro Koo explained to me about my current health condition in a very detailed manner and the solution to it – Neuro-hypnotherapy. He taught me the way to self-hypnosis and it really works. Now, my IBS problem has improved and finally I gain my life back. IBS has caused problems to my normal life and working performance and through neuro-hypnotherapy with Hiro Koo, I am better now.

Apart from that, combining with the nutritional consultation with the naturopath, I learn to eat healthily and nutritionally. I’m really satisfied with the result and would definitely recommend my friends and family members and those who need natural therapies to visit SOL. 

- Testimonial by Mr. Jeff Liau

What is IBS?
IBS is best understood as a long-term or recurrent disorder of gastrointestinal (GI) functioning. It usually involves the large intestine (colon) and small intestine with disturbances of intestinal/bowel (gut) motor function (motility) and sensation. These gut related activities are regulated by the brain. This may also be impaired, which is why IBS is often called a brain-gut disorder. These disturbances can produce symptoms of abdominal pain or discomfort, bloating or a sense of gaseousness, and a change in bowel habits (diarrhea and/or constipation).

The typical features of IBS are generally recognizable by a doctor. The most important first step in treating and managing symptoms is to see your doctor for a confident diagnosis of IBS.

Symptoms Cluster in IBS 

A number of symptoms that occur together characterize irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). This may confuse you at first. Plus, symptoms will likely change over time. The changes may seem random. But there is a pattern to symptoms of IBS.

►The key sign or symptom of IBS is pain or discomfort in the abdomen. The abdomen is the area below your chest and above your hips. 

►The other symptoms of IBS relate to your bowel habit. You’ll notice a change in frequency or consistency of stool (diarrhea or constipation). These changes link to the pain.

►The symptoms occur over a long term and come and go over time.

Some or all of IBS symptoms can occur at the same time. Some symptoms may be worse than others.

Abdominal pain is often described as crampy, or as a generalized ache with periods of cramps. Sharp, dull, gas-like, or modest pains are common. The IBS discomfort or pain usually feels better after a bowel movement.

Symptom Patterns Add Up To IBS

Certain signs and symptoms occur with IBS. Symptom-based criteria for IBS emphasize a positive diagnosis rather than extensive tests to rule out all other diseases. No tests confirm the diagnosis of IBS.

A detailed history, physical examination, and limited diagnostic tests help confirm the IBS diagnosis. More extensive testing is reserved for specific situations.

Other Symptoms May Accompany IBS

Persons treated for IBS commonly report upper gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. About 25% to 50% report...

• Heartburn
• Early feeling of fullness (satiety)
• Nausea
• Abdominal fullness
• Bloating

Other GI symptoms also reported include...

• Intermittent upper abdominal discomfort or pain (dyspepsia)
• Feelings of urgency (the need to find a restroom fast)
• Feeling of "incomplete" bowel emptying

Non-GI symptoms also occur. Sometimes, but not always, this may be due to an overlap of IBS with another condition. These symptoms include...

• Fatigue
• Muscle pain
• Sleep disturbances
• Sexual dysfunction

Other symptoms tend to occur with more severe IBS such as...

• Low back pain
• Headache

Symptoms sometimes seem contradictory, such as alternating diarrhea and constipation. It may help to keep a Symptom Diary so your doctor can see how your symptoms change over time and in relation to diet, stress, and other factors. 

Abnormal functioning of the nerves and muscles of the bowel produce the symptoms of IBS. A "dysregulation" between the brain, the gut, and the central nervous system causes the bowel to become "irritated," or overly sensitive to stimuli. Symptoms may occur even in response to normal events.

Mind: Hypnosis and The Power of Your Subconscious Mind
Hypnosis works by bypassing the critical filter of our mind to help the conscious mind directly access and suggest to the subconscious mind. Research has found that hypnotherapy may help improve the primary symptoms of IBS. It may also help relieve other symptoms suffered by many people with IBS such as nausea, fatigue, backache, and urinary problems. Hypnotherapy appears to offer symptomatic, psychological, and physiological benefit. Hypnotherapy is considered as a promising intervention for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4015203/) provides clearer evidence that hypnotherapy is an effective treatment in improving gastrointestinal symptoms of patients with IBS.
* We use the Gut-Directed Hypnotherapy to deal with IBS symptoms in Malaysia.

Brain: EEG biofeedback to deal with underlying issues 
The causes of anxiety and stress-related disorders such as IBS seem to be a complex interplay of predisposing heredity factors, childhood circumstances, hormonal imbalances and life-events. These disorders often involve an over-activation of the sympathetic nervous system. Because these disorders involve the activation of our most basic survival responses, often called "fight or flight" response it will always remain difficult to dampen that response. EEG biofeedback works to decrease psychophysiological reactivity and to improve recovery (by teaching the patient to activate the opposing parasympathetic system).

Body: Nutritional therapy for irritable bowel syndrome.

If you have IBS, you will know that a single meal choice can completely ruin your day by inducing painful abdominal pains or inconvenient bowel problems. A nutrition professional understands this relationship between food and mood. They can keep the symptoms of IBS at bay by applying their expert knowledge to your dietary habits. A nutrition professional can carry out a full nutrition assessment to establish possible dietary and lifestyle causes. This assessment will be used to devise an appropriate therapeutic diet and will be monitored to ensure that it is effective.
* Our nutritional therapist is the President of Naturopathic Medical Association Malaysia which is recognized by the Ministry of Health in Malaysia.


Source:
http://www.aboutibs.org/site/treatment/complementary-or-alternative-treatments/hypnosis
http://www.nutritionist-resource.org.uk/articles/irritable-bowel-syndrome.html

睡眠障礙引頭痛 自律神經失調元凶

「一覺到天亮，一暝大一吋」，但是，如果有失眠入睡困難、半夜醒來不易再睡等情況，恐罹患睡眠障礙，根據台灣睡眠醫學會一項「國人睡眠大調查」結果發現，台灣15至59歲的人口中，平均每5人就有1人深受失眠之苦。尤其值得注意的是，睡眠障礙會會引發偏頭痛。要揪出睡眠障礙造成頭痛的元凶，醫師建議必需兼顧生理與心理健康，尤其是要調整自自律神經失調的困擾。

睡眠障礙元凶　自律神經失調惹禍

為什麼睡眠障礙會引起頭痛？精神科醫師楊聰財表示，其實睡眠障礙只是冰山一角，冰山下的狀況要特別關注，睡眠障礙要從生理因素與心理因素去解決。其中生理因素主要來自自律神經失調，一旦自律神經不穩定，交感神經與副交感神經不協調，交感神經會過盛，引起血壓升高、肌肉緊繃、呼吸心跳加快，在交互影響下，便容易引起頭痛。

至於心理因素引起睡眠障礙，則常見出現慢性焦慮、憂鬱，或慢性壓力感如怒氣。焦慮、憂鬱與怒氣此三種統稱為「情緒障礙」，容易造成頭痛不適。臨床發現，10個有睡眠障礙問題的民眾，約有7、8個與情緒障礙有關。

自律神經失調　女多於男

楊聰財醫師表示，門診曾經收治許多因為出現頭暈、頭重、頭痛的患者求診，主訴特別的是頭痛位置有移動情況，有時頭頂痛，有時單側痛，有時兩邊同時痛，甚至疼痛會往下發展，合併肌肉緊繃、眼睛乾澀、呼吸不順、腹痛等不適症狀，但是進行腦波、心電圖、X光等檢查，卻發現都正常，一時找不到病因，經過進一步診斷才發現是慢性自律神經失調。

自律神經失調該怎麼改善？建議要兼顧生理與心理，照顧身心四個大支柱：即「能睡、能笑、能動、能吃」：

【調整自律神經失調方法】：

1.「能睡」：是指每天最好晚上11點睡覺，早上6點起床，維持正常睡眠。

2.「能笑」：指常保笑容能使腦內啡分泌，有益健康避免頭痛。

3.「能動」：指每周維持333規律運動，每週運動至少3天、每次30分鐘、心跳達到130下。 

4.「能吃」：指睡覺前適度食用包括鮮奶、香蕉與深海魚油等食物，有助於自律神經安定。

此外，平時要養成「說唱做寫」紓壓好方法4要訣，例如每天做深呼吸吐氣、睡前寫快樂日記等。

【醫師小叮嚀】：

楊聰財醫師表示，自律神經失調調整好，睡眠障礙即可降低，但是如果出現睡眠障礙，例如一周中有3天以上睡眠時間不到6小時，或是有入睡困擾，且情況連續兩周以上，影響日常生活，就可能是與情緒障礙影響到睡眠有關，建議可至精神科就醫檢查。

若是明明睡眠超過9小時以上，卻怎麼睡都覺得睡不夠，上班仍容易打瞌睡、精神不濟，則可能與生理有關，例如有睡眠呼吸中止症、打鼾等呼吸道問題，建議到睡眠中心進行睡眠檢查。

资料来源：

https://tw.news.yahoo.com/睡眠障礙引頭痛　自律神經失調元凶

10 Ways to Make Memory Rehab Work

Physical exercise can rehabilitate bodies that have grown soft and flabby. Can mental exercise rehabilitate brains that have deteriorated because of disease or age? Maybe.

A published scholarly review has examined the research literature on this issue and arrived at several useful conclusions: 

1. Focus, Reduce Distractions. The two common causes of forgetting, in both normal people and those with impaired memory, are a) failure to register new information effectively, and b) interference from conflicting sensations and thoughts.
2. Customize the Rehabilitation Needed. Rehab need to take into account the type of memory therapy and the cause and severity of the impaired memory capability.
3. Learn in Small, Frequently Repeated Chunks. New information has to be re-packaged for memory-impaired people so that it is in simple, concrete form, in small chunks, and repeated frequently — with patients required to re-state the information and make explicit associations with what they already know. (Notice how this sounds like the way one needs to teach young children).
4. Practice Attentiveness. Attentiveness to new information can be enhanced by self-cueing, wherein patients remind themselves to be more attentive at crucial moments. This can even be done by creating a conditioned reflex in which a cue signal conditions greater attentiveness. (Notice how this sounds like how you “clicker” train dogs).
5. Uses Mnemonics. Mnemonic tips and tricks can help. This includes using acronyms, rhymes, stories, and constructing mental images.
6. Find Ways to Compensate. Even in patients with severe impairments, some aspects of memory, such as subliminal or implicit memory, may have been spared and can be exploited to compensate for the lost ability.
7. Spread Rehearsals Over Time. Memory rehearsal is more effective if it is spread out over time rather than bunched into a few closely spaced sessions.
8. Manipulate the Cues. Be more aware of cues you are using. A “vanishing clues” approach can help. For example, in a rehearsal session, cued retrieval might begin with cueing the first three letters of a target word, then repeating later with two, then  one, and eventually no letter cues.
9. Minimize Error, Lest you Learn the Errors. Trial-and-error learning is generally less effective than learning conditions that minimize error, because error responses can get stored as memories that compete with the right answers. In short, it is better to not know than to generate wrong answers.
10. Use Memory Crutches. Using external memory aids (sticky notes, wall charts, notebooks, etc.) should help, bearing in mind, however, that using such aids may themselves be a memory task. It is like having a schedule calendar and forgetting to check the calendar. Smart phones and radio paging devices (“NeuroPage”) can be especially helpful because they remind the patient when to check on the stored information. In some patients, repeated use of such aids develops a habit for target tasks and these may even generalize to certain non-target tasks.

These ten approaches are some of the same approaches that work especially well in people with normal memory capabilities. To make them work in patients with impaired memory just takes more effort, patience, and time.

Source: Ptak, R., Van der Linden, M., and Schneider, A. 2010. Cognitive rehabilitation of episodic memory disorders: from theory to practice. Frontiers in Human Research. 4 (57): 1-11. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2010.00057.

All retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/memory-medic/201305/10-ways-make-memory-rehab-work