Integrative medicine and gastrointestinal disease

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Integrative Medicine
• Evidence-Based Practice

Background:

• Gastrointestinal (GI) disorders are highly prevalent, leading to millions of physician visits annually.
• Patients increasingly explore complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for GI issues, driven by suboptimal conventional therapy outcomes, side effects, or a desire for natural approaches.
• Significant financial investment in CAM highlights its growing role in healthcare.

Purpose of the Study:

• To inform physicians about the evidence supporting common CAM therapies for prevalent GI disorders.
• To provide a focused review of the most studied CAM interventions for selected GI conditions.

Main Methods:

• Literature review focusing on common and well-researched CAM therapies for GI disorders.
• Analysis of existing evidence to assess the efficacy and safety of selected CAM treatments.

Main Results:

• Identified several common CAM therapies frequently utilized for GI conditions.
• Evaluated the scientific evidence base for these therapies, highlighting areas of robust support and gaps in knowledge.

Conclusions:

• Physicians require awareness of the evidence for CAM therapies to guide patients effectively.
• Further research is needed to establish definitive efficacy and safety profiles for many CAM interventions in gastroenterology.