Gastrointestinal disorders
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Acid reflux or heartburn (GERD)
There is a good summary of GERD on Wikipedia if you'd like a more in-depth understanding of the condition. Basically, digestive fluids from the stomach get up into your esophagus (throat) because of spasms or a faulty stomach valve (lower esophageal sphincter), causing burning sores (ulcers) on the lining of the esophagus. It can feel like a burning in the chest and/or pain and difficulty in swallowing.
Most spasms in the body seem to be controlled and calmed with hypnotherapy, and the stomach spasms of GERD are no exception. Most people with GERD these days are under a doctor's care, so consultation with your doctor is highly recommended, because it may involve going off your medication. As with IBS, the hypnotherapy treatment usually involves 2-3 sessions in the first week, and then weekly or biweekly for 2 or 3 more refresher sessions, if needed.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a fairly common disorder of the stomach and intestines. (Up to 20% of Americans are affected, by some estimates.) It seems to involve spasms in the stomach and intestines that often cause pain and diarrhea, some times constipation instead, depending on how the intestinal lining (epithelium) reacts to the spasms. Researchers are uncertain of the exact causes, but food sensitivity and stress seem to be the primary two culprits. The diarrhea can be especially severe; sufferers often don't want to be too far from a toilet, because the symptoms can come on suddenly.
Fortunately, because of some proactive IBS sufferers who have learned about hypnosis and some more liberal researchers, some good research into the hypnotic treatment of IBS (from the University of North Carolina and from the University Hospital of South Manchester in the UK) has become available recently. The subconscious is a powerful tool for reducing stress throughout the body, but it seems to be able to specifically control and calm the intestines to the point of complete remission of IBS, or at least only occasional spasms in times of much greater stress.
If you are under a doctor's care for IBS, consultation with your doctor is highly recommended. Hypnotherapy treatment is likely to involve 2 or 3 sessions in a two-week period, and then refreshers can be weekly, biweekly, or even monthly until the symptoms subside. Most seem to respond immediately or within 2 weeks of refreshers.
Stomach ulcers can also be called esophageal ulcers (see acid reflux above), gastric ulcers, or peptic ulcers, depending on where the sores form in the gastrointestinal tract. In gastric ulcers, there seems to be some sort of irritation to the stomach lining (perhaps caused by a food, infection, or excess acid) which forms a sore (ulcer) that can produce burning or sharp pains.
Hypnotherapy can help you modify your behavior, so that you stay away from spicy foods, drink more water, and get plenty of sleep -- all of which will help your stomach lining heal faster. The cells of the stomach lining replace themselves in about 7-10 days, so it is not uncommon for stomach ulcers and their symptoms to disappear after only two sessions in a week. If you are under a doctor's care for your stomach ulcers, consultation is recommended, especially if you are on a steady dosage of any medications.