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If you have been diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) it’s not unusual to also experience pain in areas which seem unrelated to your original problem. One of the most frequently reported symptoms is pain in the lower back which often crops up during the night. What is the cause of this seemingly unrelated pain and how can natural supplements help ease the problem?
How can IBS cause back pain? Back ache in patients suffering with IBS is very common and between 28 and 81 percent of patients with IBS have reported experiencing back pain. It is thought that this is most likely to be caused by a syndrome known as ‘referred pain’ which arises as a secondary symptom of the main source of discomfort.
If you have IBS, referred pain in your back is thought to be triggered by pain from your bowel due to excess gas, bloating or constipation. However, it’s important not to make assumptions as to the cause of back pain, but to get it checked out by a doctor to establish that there is no separate cause.
It is possible that those with IBS may also have other health issues which may be associated with back pain. These include illnesses such as fibromyalgia or interstitial cystitis which causes bladder pressure and pain. Another condition which may exist alongside IBS is rheumatoid arthritis which may result in back pain.
Irritable bowel syndrome is not one simple condition, it’s a group of symptoms affecting the intestines, and these include constipation, diarrhoea, bloating, trapped wind, and abdominal cramps. For many sufferers the symptoms may be relatively minor but for others they are severe enough to cause lifestyle disruption.
There is no complete cure for IBS, so it’s a case of managing the symptoms by establishing your triggers and dealing with them by making lifestyle and dietary changes. You may also find taking probiotic supplements helpful in easing intestinal discomfort.
The cause of IBS is not certain, but it is thought that it could stem from high sensitivity of the colon and the immune system. The condition has also been given other names such as spastic colon, irritable colon, and spastic colitis. However, IBS is medically recognised as a multifactorial disorder rather than a classic inflammatory bowel condition. Diet and stress exposure have been linked to the condition, as has gastroenteritis which has resulted in IBS brought on by a previous bacterial infection in the gastrointestinal tract.
It has been found that patients suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as those with anxiety and depression, are prone to IBS. These findings are due to the connection between the brain and the gut, known as the brain-gut axis (BGA).
The immune system may have a part to play in causing IBS as it is also affected by stress levels.
When diagnosing IBS, medical practitioners look for symptoms which have occurred for at least three days per month for the previous three months.
In reaching a diagnosis, your doctor may suggest adopting a certain eating regime or recommend avoiding certain food groups for a while to check for allergies. It is usual for a stool test to be carried out to check for infections. You may also have blood tests to rule out anaemia and celiac disease and sometimes a colonoscopy may be arranged but this is only if your doctor suspects an inflammatory bowel disorder such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.
There are certain factors which can lead to IBS, and these include:
It is possible for IBS to result in intestinal damage, but this is not a common occurrence.
There are many changes you can make to your lifestyle to help ease IBS symptoms. Some of these include:
Certain foods are known to be triggers for IBS. You may find that some foods are more likely to cause an attack than others so keeping a food diary is a good idea. Some of the most common trigger foods are:
It has been found that dietary changes can help ease symptoms and one of the best methods is to eat smaller meals, obviously avoiding those foods you have found to be triggers.
Doctors and dieticians recommend the low FODMAP diet for easing the symptoms of IBS. This involves minimising fermentable carbohydrates which move slowly through your intestines undigested. These carbs are found in certain foods such as:
It would be difficult to remove all these foods from your diet but keeping them to a minimum will help with your IBS symptoms.
Foods you can still eat in unlimited quantities on a low FODMAP diet are:
This type of diet is usually managed by a dietician or doctor. It involves elimination of FODMAPS for about three weeks and then their gradual reintroduction. This process helps establish which foods are your triggers and the reintroduction of the others, avoids you losing valuable nutrients from your diet which are not causing a problem.
In easing the symptoms of IBS, resultant lower back pain will hopefully also be helped. There are some recognised natural dietary supplements which can help with the various effects of IBS, and these include:
A good quality probiotic can help to help improve digestion and maintain a healthy balance of good bacteria in your gut.
A fruit from South Africa which contains soluble and insoluble fibre to maintain gut health. Baobab is also a prebiotic so stimulates intestinal micro flora.
To help calm the bowel and may help in cases where constipation is the problem. Learn more about our Magnesium Malate capsules.
Calms and eases inflammation.
For fighting digestive tract infections.
Gives relief from abdominal pain and bloating.
Many studies have been carried out to review the effectiveness of probiotics for those suffering with IBS. A range of probiotics have shown to be beneficial so choosing a supplement containing several different strains may provide the best results.
Probiotics could provide the following benefits for IBS:
Our probiotic supplement contains 6 different strains and 20 billion colony-forming units per capsule of the most beneficial bacteria. Including this supplement in your diet will keep your beneficial gut bacteria at optimum levels, preventing harmful bacteria from taking hold and creating illness.
When it comes to keeping you informed on health and nutrition, we’re here for you and aim to help where we can. If you would like to discuss any aspect of using natural supplements, or would find advice helpful, please feel free to contact us on 01297 553932
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