Are there any other treatments for IBD?

    Last Updated: October 25, 2023

    There’s some evidence that mindfulness can reduce stress in people living with IBD, while cognitive behavioral therapy could improve both quality of life and fatigue.[1][2][3]

    Fecal microbiota transplants are more effective than placebo for inducing remission in ulcerative colitis, but their efficacy in other forms of IBD is still unclear, and most of the available trials for Crohn’s disease lack control groups.[4][5]

    Most of the studies assessing hyperbaric oxygen therapy and acupuncture had serious design flaws (like a lack of randomization or control groups), so although these treatments are associated with remission and clinical improvements, it’s unclear whether those occurred as a result of the treatment or as a normal part of the disease process.[6][7]

    References

    1. ^Ewais T, Begun J, Kenny M, Rickett K, Hay K, Ajilchi B, Kisely SA systematic review and meta-analysis of mindfulness based interventions and yoga in inflammatory bowel disease.J Psychosom Res.(2019-01)
    2. ^Li C, Hou Z, Liu Y, Ji Y, Xie LCognitive-behavioural therapy in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Int J Nurs Pract.(2019-Feb)
    3. ^Davis SP, Bolin LP, Crane PB, Wei H, Crandell JNon-pharmacological interventions to manage fatigue in adults with inflammatory bowel disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Complement Ther Clin Pract.(2020-Nov)
    4. ^Huang T, Xu J, Wang M, Pu K, Li L, Zhang H, Liang Y, Sun W, Wang YAn updated systematic review and meta-analysis of fecal microbiota transplantation for the treatment of ulcerative colitis.Medicine (Baltimore).(2022-Jul-29)
    5. ^Cheng F, Huang Z, Wei W, Li ZFecal microbiota transplantation for Crohn's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Tech Coloproctol.(2021-05)
    6. ^McCurdy J, Siw KCK, Kandel R, Larrigan S, Rosenfeld G, Boet SThe Effectiveness and Safety of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Various Phenotypes of Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Systematic Review With Meta-analysis.Inflamm Bowel Dis.(2022-03-30)
    7. ^Wang X, Zhao NQ, Sun YX, Bai X, Si JT, Liu JP, Liu ZLAcupuncture for ulcerative colitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.BMC Complement Med Ther.(2020-Oct-14)