IBS NICE Guidelines

What NICE Says: NICE Hypnotherapy IBS

Hypnotherapy is sometimes discussed as a complementary or psychological approach for a range of health conditions. However, it is important to distinguish between treatments that NICE Hypnotherapy IBS specifically recommends or says should be considered, and treatments that NICE has simply identified as an area for research.

One of the clearest examples is Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

NICE Hypnotherapy IBS Guidelines

The NICE guideline Irritable bowel syndrome in adults: diagnosis and management (CG61) specifically states that referral for psychological interventions, including cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), hypnotherapy and/or psychological therapy, should be considered for people with IBS who have not responded to pharmacological treatments after 12 months and who develop a continuing symptom profile, described by NICE as refractory IBS.

NICE's information for people with IBS also explains that when medicines have not helped symptoms after a year, a person may be offered referral for a psychological intervention, which can include hypnotherapy.

This is an important distinction. NICE is not saying that hypnotherapy is appropriate for everyone with IBS, nor is it recommending hypnotherapy as a replacement for medical assessment or treatment. Rather, NICE specifically recognises hypnotherapy as one of the psychological interventions that may be considered when IBS symptoms remain persistent despite other treatment.

NICE has also identified further research into psychological interventions, including hypnotherapy, as an important area for IBS. In particular, NICE has highlighted the need to understand how CBT, hypnotherapy and psychological therapy compare, and at what stage of IBS management these approaches should be offered.

For me, this is an important point. My own work with IBS began in clinical practice and developed over many years of working with people experiencing persistent and often complex IBS symptoms. The fact that NICE specifically recognises hypnotherapy as a psychological intervention to be considered for refractory IBS provides useful independent clinical guidance for people who are exploring the role hypnotherapy may have in IBS management.

A careful distinction

It is sometimes claimed that NICE recommends hypnotherapy for a wide range of medical conditions. That would be too broad a statement.

NICE guidance covers many different health conditions, and hypnotherapy may appear in some guidelines as part of an evidence review or as a subject for further research. A mention in a NICE document does not necessarily mean that NICE recommends the treatment.

For this reason, I prefer to be precise:

NICE specifically includes hypnotherapy among the psychological interventions that should be considered for people with refractory IBS.

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NICE Guideline: IBS in Adults

NICE Guideline CG61 – Irritable bowel syndrome in adults: diagnosis and management

First published: February 2008
Last updated: April 2017.

The guideline remains an important reference point for the management of IBS and specifically identifies hypnotherapy within its recommendations for psychological interventions.