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(More customer reviews)About two years ago, I started to experience some of the classic symptoms of IBS. It began with some minor abdominal bloating, which I initially mistook for weight gain. Gradually the bloating worsened, until my midsection was at time so distended that I looked pregnant. After roughly six months of intermittent bloating came the constipation, which sent me on a weeklong binge of fiber and internet research. A week later, I was fairly certain that I was suffering from IBS. Rather than visit the doctor (who, I was certain, would just advise me to eat more fiber), I resolved to work up a treatment plan and try to tackle the issue on my own. A year later, and I am mostly IBS-free. Though I occasionally experience minor bloating, it's nowhere near as bad as it used to be.
Since IBS research is still in its infancy - and my plan can always stand to be tweaked - I'm always on the lookout for new ideas and information. Thus, when I saw that Library Thing was offering up Theresa Cheung's THE IBS HEALING PLAN: NATURAL WAYS TO BEAT YOUR SYMPTOMS via their Early Reviewer program, I jumped at the chance to read an advance copy.
Overall, THE IBS TREATMENT PLAN is a short but useful guide to managing your IBS symptoms. Cheung begins with a brief description of IBS, and then spends much of the rest of the book outlining various types of treatments. She covers all the bases, including food and diet; vitamins and supplements; stress and stress management; exercise and fitness, with a focus on yoga; prescription medications; and alternative therapies such as massage, aromatherapy, reflexology, acupuncture/acupressure, and heat therapy.
Her list is comprehensive, though it might be a bit too comprehensive: while I'm all in favor of giving IBS sufferers all the info they need to tailor their own unique treatment plan - after all, IBS symptoms and remedies are as varied as those who suffer from IBS - not all remedies are created equal. For example, fiber is a necessary component of a healthy diet whether you suffer from IBS or not; thus, the first factor an IBS sufferer should examine is her fiber intake. The benefits of grapefruit seed, on the other hand, are a bit more questionable.
To her credit, Cheung is quick to provide caveats for the more "fringe" remedies. In many cases, she'll offer a brief summary of the research on these non-traditional remedies, or preface the discussion with a non-committal "People think..." or "It is suspected..." And yet, by placing all these remedies on equal footing, I'm afraid that she might give readers the impression that all are equally valid and effective. Furthermore, she rarely cites any research for the more tried and true IBS remedies, which only confuses the issue and makes the less-proven remedies seem superior to the more widely accepted (and researched) ones. This might have been avoided by presenting the remedies in a ranked list (by efficacy or abundance of supporting evidence, for example), rather than alphabetical order, or perhaps by including a brief summary of relevant research for each and every remedy, instead of just the questionable ones.
Even so, I don't fault Cheung for including the non-traditional remedies. Most of these seem to be somewhat useful, though not necessarily for their stated reasons. For example, I have no doubt that acupressure can be of use to some IBS suffers - but not because it helps your energy flow properly through your Qi's. More likely, the massage simply feels good and helps to ease stress. So although I think Cheung does a disservice by not scrutinizing some of the New Age pseudoscientific treatments she describes, it's not to the book's detriment. However, the one sole exception is her discussion of homeopathy, which is utter nonsense and should not have been included in THE IBS HEALING PLAN.
Homeopathy follows the same general principle as vaccinations. Vaccinations consist of live but weakened or dead/inactivated forms of pathogens, designed to introduce the pathogens to the body in a harmless (or less harmful) form and allow the body to build resistance (immunity) to the pathogens. Similarly, homeopathic practitioners claim that they can heal disorders by prescribing substances that will produce symptoms similar to that of the disorder. The main problem with homeopathy is that homeopathic remedies undergo "serial dilution" - the "healing" substance is diluted (with water, sugar, or alcohol) to such a degree that homeopathic medicines don't contain a single atom of the healing material. For instance, a homeopathic substance that carries the "2C dilution" designation contains one part of the original solution to ten thousand parts of diluent. A common dilution is 30C, but 200C is not unheard of. According to the warped logic of proponents of homeopathy, the higher the dilution, the more powerful the remedy - even though the higher you go, the less "healing material" is present in the solution. It's pure nonsense, and the only mention it deserves in self-help health book such as this is a sound debunking. You'd be better off donating the cost of such quackery to a non-profit organization and basking in the warm, stress-reducing altruistic afterglow.
Overall, I recommend using THE IBS HEALING PLAN as a jumping off point for further research. Cheung has compiled a comprehensive introduction to the many IBS remedies available, ranging from clinically tested prescription medicines to downright frauds. Most fall somewhere in between, and it's up to consumers to do their own research and experimentation and devise a treatment plan that suits their individual needs. THE IBS HEALING PLAN is a good start. But be skeptical, and above all else, listen to your gut!
Click Here to see more reviews about: The IBS Healing Plan: Natural Ways to Beat Your Symptoms (Positive Options for Health)
Irritable bowel syndrome is characterized by bloating, abdominal pain, and altered bowel habits. This hard-to-handle problem affects nearly all facets of an individual’s life, but because many patients find it difficult to discuss their bowel problems with their doctors, they often suffer in silence. Although there is no cure for the disorder, there are ways to significantly ease and even prevent its symptoms. This book’s effective self-help solutions let patients take control of IBS. First, an introduction to the condition spells out its causes and symptoms and helps readers determine if they actually have IBS. The book then focuses on five key strategies: maintaining proper eating habits, stress management, dietary supplements, alternative therapies such as yoga and acupuncture, and the use of appropriate prescription medications. Accessible and clearly written, the book is punctuated with case histories, up-to-the-minute research, and advice on working with a physician.
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