Integrative Gastroenterology

Digestive complaints have become increasingly common. Recent statistics show that gastrointestinal complaints account for nearly a third of all visits to primary care doctors and that nearly one in two Americans suffer from digestive disease. Millions more suffer from conditions such as migraine headaches, arthritis, mood disorders, chronic fatigue, asthma, allergies, and menstrual dysfunction, which are all related to a disorder in digestive health. Despite the evidence in support of integrative approaches to treatment and prevention of digestive symptoms, these approaches are largely overlooked in treating gastrointestinal disorders. Rather, treatment plans tend to be exclusively pharmacologically based and have appreciable toxicity. Integrative Gastroenterology, Second edition, is a comprehensive guide to helping health care practitioners understand and appreciate how to manage patients with gastrointestinal conditions integrating conventional and complimentary approaches. This text reviews the latest advances in science and research with regards to the gut microbiome, physiology, and interconnections between the gut and other organ systems. Coverage includes a diverse range of treatment methods, such as probiotics, meditation, massage, yoga, supplements, special diets, energy medicine, homeopathy, and acupuncture, as well as a special section devoted to mind-body medicine in digestive health and disease. In discussing unconventional treatments, the authors address many of the controversies that surround the remedies.