Can Yoga Help Relieve Symptoms of IBS?

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a term most people have heard of. In fact it’s the most common gastrointestinal disorder in Western society, and although it is not a medically dangerous condition, it can be seriously disruptive to quality of life.  If you suffer with IBS you know that it can be one of the most infuriating things to deal with. The problem is that stress just makes it worse, so it turns into a vicious cycle.

Belle spoke to Hannah Barrett – AKA @yoga_girl_london – one of the UK’s leading yoga instructors, about how yoga can be used to ease symptoms of this commom but crippling ailment.

Hannah said: “IBS can come in many different forms.  It basically describes a group of symptoms, including abdominal pain, bloating or discomfort, and changes in bowel movement patterns and defecation, for which there is no underlying pathological cause.  IBS is also often associated with a number of secondary conditions such as anxiety, depression, headaches and fatigue.”

According to research, almost 60% of IBS patients^[1] claim that certain foods trigger their symptoms however eliminating those foods can lead to only slight improvements in their symptoms. It’s suggested that psychological factors can also play a huge role in IBS.  Anxiety and stress results in an increase in the fight/flight response which means that digestion is not a priority for your brain.

Hannah adds: “Your digestive, or gastrointestinal (GI), tract is a long, muscular tube that runs from your mouth to your anus.  Peristalsis describes the wave-like contractions of the surrounding muscles which produce a ‘squeezing action’ pushing food through the gut. In IBS this does not work optimally for various reasons.

“Another important component for IBS is your pelvic floor muscles. The pelvic floor consists of muscles that help control defecation and you need to be able to relax these muscles to have normal bowel movements. In IBS and associated constipation, they contract rather than relax so it feels like you haven’t completely emptied your bowels. Prolonged constipation in itself can then weaken and alter the pelvic floor musculature.”

For IBS sufferers there is also a change in ‘bowel transit time’, which is the time taken for food to pass through the GI tract (1-3 days). In IBS this is slower, so stool becomes dehydrated and more difficult to pass.  A high proportion of IBS patients tend to over-breathe and symptoms are aggravated by stress/anxiety.

Here are some of Hannah’s tips towards easing the pain:

• Pelvic floor exercises! Having a strong pelvic floor is important for controlling bowel movements but it’s equally important to learn how to relax them. Deep abdominal breathing can help as encouraged in this flow, but also seeing a pelvic health physio can be helpful to teach you how to if you find you have difficulties. The POGP in the UK has a directory of physios, or speak to your GP for a referral.
• Lean forward with your knees higher than your hip level if possible (pop your feet up onto a small step or anything you can find – paint pots have been reported in the past!) and don’t hover above the toilet seat. It helps to relax the pelvic floor muscles.
• Deep abdominal slow breaths, as included in this flow, help to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system (rest/digest system) and dampen your fight/flight stress response.
• Exercise and movement. These poses and movements help stimulate peristalsis, reduce bowel transit time, and relax the pelvic floor.

Practicing yoga is suggested to help correct the imbalance of your autonomic nervous system.  This improves the balance of the fight/flight response (sympathetic nervous system) and the rest/digest response (parasympathetic nervous system).  Through physical postures (Asana), breathing exercises (Pranayama) and meditation (Dhyana), yoga is suggested as an alternative treatment option for IBS.

Hannah said: “Including certain yoga poses and practicing breathing and meditation techniques can be a great addition to other forms of IBS treatment. Studies have found that yoga is effective at reducing stress and anxiety, and improving body image which is all positive for IBS sufferers. Try a flow daily or whenever you have symptoms as an adjunct to your usual IBS treatment.”

^[1] Schuman et al 2018