Beyond conventional medicine: scientifically proven therapies as gentle helpers for the gut

Incense, acupuncture or mind-body therapy?🧘 In the S3 guidelines For Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, there are some approaches📚 that supportive can be used in addition to standard therapy from conventional medicine for IBD. In this article, we introduce you to these gentle helpers - perhaps there is something that will help you with your individual IBD.✅

The forms of therapy presented in this article are part of the S3 guidelines for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. You can find more information in these guides. This blog post makes no claim to Completeness. Please always talk to your doctor first about whether such a therapy is suitable for you to support a standard therapy from conventional medicine, and do not use it without consulting a doctor.

Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are both chronic inflammatory bowel diseases which, despite many similarities, also have differences. This also applies to the selection complementary therapies. The difference between complementary and alternative medicine is whether or not they exclude conventional medicine. Complementary therapy methods from complementary medicine are regarded as Supplement to standard conventional medical therapy. As alternative therapy methods Alternative medicine refers to forms of therapy that are not intended as a supplement to standard conventional medical therapy, but rather as an alternative to conventional medicine. only form of therapy should be used independently of conventional medical therapy. In this article only complementary forms of therapy presented.

In addition to acupuncture, mind-body methods, yoga, plantago ovata, turmeric and a combination therapy are presented as complementary therapy methods alongside conventional medicine for ulcerative colitis.

The mind-body method includes approaches that are intended to reduce stress and ensure more mindfulness in life. So far, only positive effects have been reported, but these are based on little scientific evidence. An unqualified recommendation can therefore not be given.

The system of Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) was developed in the late 1970s by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. It combines elements of mindfulness meditation, body awareness exercises (body scan) and gentle yoga. The aim is to Dealing with stresspain and chronic illnesses. Studies have shown that MBSR can have positive effects on the quality of life and psychological well-being of patients with ulcerative colitis and simultaneously diagnosed irritable bowel syndrome.

Studies have shown that practicing yoga can have a positive effect on the disease activity of ulcerative colitis and on certain symptoms. Yoga can reduce the occurrence of colicky abdominal pain reduce and Anxiety in those affected reduce. Yoga can therefore be recommended to support standard therapy.

The use of acupuncture can also have a positive effect on patients with ulcerative colitis and a mild to moderate flare-up. If you would like to find out more about this topic, please read our article on Acupuncture for your IBD.

The Plantago ovata therapy is the Administration of psyllium husks during remission in ulcerative colitis. As they have no known side effects, they can be recommended alongside standard therapy to maintain remission.

Curcumin, which is also marketed as a drug outside Germany, can have a positive effect on achieving and maintaining remission when combined with an aminosalicylate. The new ECCO guidelines also report a positive effect in achieving remission through the use of dietary supplements such as turmeric. If you would like to find out more about a suitable diet for your individual IBD, our Contribution to the new ECCO guidelines for proper nutrition with IBD can help.

The combination therapy includes a preparation containing myrrh, chamomile flower extract and coffee charcoal. This combination achieves a similar Good remission-preserving effect as the administration of mesalazine. In addition, it was well tolerated by the participants in the study. Therefore, a combination therapy of myrrh, chamomile flower extract and coffee charcoal can be recommended as a complementary measure to maintain remission.

There are also some therapies for Crohn's disease that can be used as a complement to conventional medicine and can have positive effects on your personal IBD. In addition to acupuncture, complementary therapies for Crohn's disease include pain therapies with paracetamol and opioids, cannabis therapies, multiconvergent therapies and solution-oriented therapy.

Acupuncture therapy, which originates from traditional Chinese medicine, could also lead to improvements during a flare-up in active Crohn's disease in studies. Disease activity decreased in patients who received acupuncture in combination with moxibustion in addition to standard therapy.

Moxibustion is a method of Traditional Chinese Medicine in which dried leaves of the mugwort herb (Artemisia vulgaris) are burned in the form of small cones or sticks close to certain acupuncture points. The resulting heat is intended to stimulate the flow of energy (Qi) and support the healing process.

It is best to talk to your doctor about whether this type of therapy is an option for you.

In addition to other symptoms, Crohn's disease can also lead to an increase in persistent abdominal pain. Despite anti-inflammatory therapy, this can also be treated with pain therapy. Pain therapy includes the oral intake of paracetamol or, in the case of particularly severe pain, opioids during an acute episode.

Paracetamol Compared to ibuprofen, it is considered to be more stomach-friendly and is therefore more often preferred by IBD patients, as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen can increase the risk of mucosal irritation and possible flare-ups.

As soon as the Symptoms have improved and a remission has occurred, the intake is stopped.

If the pain therapy does not work or the prescribed medication is not tolerated, an alternative is to use cannabis-based medicinal products and medicinal cannabis can be used to persistent abdominal pain to alleviate the symptoms. Cannabis should preferably be taken orally as a preparation. Alternatively, vaporizing cannabis flowers can also be considered if oral intake is not tolerated.

The use of cannabis can Positive effects on persistent abdominal pain and to the Loss of appetite in patients with Crohn's disease. However, the data is limited, which is why medicinal cannabis is not recommended for active relapses or for maintaining remission.

In multiconvergent therapy, patients with Crohn's disease receive special sessions in addition to standard therapy, which are based on Aim for stress reduction and contribute to an improved quality of life. These sessions include mindfulness meditation with elements of cognitive behavioral therapy and last around 40 minutes each.

In studies, patients with Crohn's disease and simultaneously diagnosed irritable bowel syndrome reported that they felt less stressed and their quality of life was improved, based on their own assessment.

Solution-oriented therapy includes strategies for Coping with tiredness (fatigue), to make it easier for those affected to deal with this symptom. Studies have shown that participants in this therapy reported improvements compared to people who did not take part - both in their quality of life and in their perception of fatigue symptoms.

In addition to conventional medicine, there are some forms of therapy for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis that can be used as a supplement. Talk to your attending physician about which forms of treatment are best for you. complementary forms of therapy you find interesting. Also tell them which ones you have already tried so that you can treat your individual IBD in the best possible way.

DGVS (ed.). Supplementary material to "Guideline report of the updated S3 guideline Diagnostics and therapy of Crohn's disease". Z Gastroenterol 2024; 62 (Supplement): 1-35. DOI: 10.1055/a-2309-6204 (Appendix 6).

German Society for Gastroenterology, Digestive and Metabolic Diseases (DGVS). (2024). S3 guideline on the diagnosis and treatment of ulcerative colitis (version 2024-06). AWMF Registry No. 021-009. Z Gastroenterol 2024; 62: 769-858 DOI 10.1055/a-2271-0994