Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Foundation for Research into
Traditional Chinese Medicine

A centre for acupuncture research

296 Tadcaster Road York YO24 1ET England, UK
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Acupuncture for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most common bowel disorder seen by primary care physicians and gastroenterologists. It is a gastrointestinal disorder that is believed to effect approximately 15-20% of the adult population and is characterised by an array of symptoms including abdominal distension, abdominal pain, and bowel dysfunction, such as loose bowels, constipation or a fluctuation between these two extremes. Treatment often consists of pharmacological and psychological therapies that aim to manage and alleviate the symptoms. However, these have been found to have limited acceptability and effectiveness. As a consequence many patients seek alternative therapies such as acupuncture to treat their IBS. A Cochrane systematic review of acupuncture for IBS, which identified a lack of good quality trials, has called for further research.

Key publications

Reynolds JA, Bland JM, MacPherson H. Acupuncture for IBS: an exploratory randomised controlled trial. Download Abstract. Download Full Report.

Reynolds JA, Bland JM, MacPherson H. Acupuncture for irritable bowel syndrome: an exploratory randomised controlled trial. Acupunct Med 2008; 26(1):8-16.[Full text]

The research so far.....

We have recently conducted a pilot study as a platform to develop a full-scale randomised control trial to evaluate the clinical and economical benefits of offering acupuncture to patients being treated with irritable bowel syndrome. The coordinator for this project was Julie Reynolds, an MRC funded student at the University of York. The project was based in South Birmingham and involved primary care referrals of patients with IBS to receive either a course of acupuncture of normal GP care alone. The report of the three month outcomes as well as design recommendations for a full scale trial can be downloaded here: Download Abstract. Download Full Report.