IBS and IBD
When your gut becomes the centre of everything.
The gut is not a peripheral system. It is increasingly understood as central to immune function, mood, cognitive clarity, inflammation, and overall health. When it is not working well, the effects ripple outward into almost every area of life. And yet gut conditions are among the most dismissed and minimized in conventional medicine, often attributed to stress or anxiety and managed with advice that feels inadequate to the reality of what people are living with.
IBS and IBD
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a functional gut condition characterized by chronic abdominal pain, bloating, and altered bowel habits, whether that means diarrhea, constipation, or a fluctuating pattern of both. It is extremely common, affects more women than men, and is frequently associated with other conditions including fibromyalgia, MCAS, anxiety, and chronic fatigue. Despite its prevalence, it is poorly understood and often undertreated.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) encompasses Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, conditions characterized by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. Unlike IBS, IBD involves measurable structural changes and carries risks of serious complications. It is a condition that requires ongoing medical management, and herbal medicine works alongside, not in place of, that care.
Both IBS and IBD significantly affect quality of life, often in ways that are difficult to discuss and easy to underestimate from the outside.
Why conventional medicine often falls short
For IBS, the conventional toolkit is limited. Dietary advice, particularly the low-FODMAP approach, is the most evidence-based intervention available, but it is restrictive, difficult to maintain long term, and does not address underlying causes. Medications are available for specific symptom patterns but do not resolve the condition. Many people with IBS feel that they are managing symptoms indefinitely without ever addressing what is driving them.
the role of the gut microbiome, the enteric nervous system, the gut-brain axis, and systemic inflammation is increasingly understood to be central, and yet conventional treatment rarely addresses these dimensions comprehensively.
For IBD, conventional treatment typically involves pharmaceutical management of inflammation, including aminosalicylates, corticosteroids, immunomodulators, and biologic medications. These can be effective at controlling inflammation during flares and maintaining remission, but they carry significant side effects and do not suit every person or every presentation. Many people with IBD are looking for ways to reduce medication burden, support remission maintenance, and address the broader terrain of their gut health alongside their medical treatment.
In both conditions, the role of the gut microbiome, the enteric nervous system, the gut-brain axis, and systemic inflammation is increasingly understood to be central, and yet conventional treatment rarely addresses these dimensions comprehensively.
What herbal medicine and homeopathy offer
Herbal medicine has a long and rich history in the treatment of gut conditions. The gut is one of the areas where plant medicines have some of their most direct and well-documented effects, and where the whole-plant approach, with its complex of synergistic compounds, often offers something that isolated pharmaceuticals cannot.
The approach varies significantly between IBS and IBD, and between individuals within each condition. The first step is always a thorough assessment of your specific picture, your symptom pattern, your triggers, your history, and your current management.
For IBS, the herbal focus is typically on:
Nervine and antispasmodic herbs that relax the smooth muscle of the gut wall and reduce the hypersensitivity and spasm that drive IBS pain. Peppermint, in enteric-coated form, has strong evidence for IBS symptom reduction. Chamomile, cramp bark, and fennel are among the herbs used for their antispasmodic and carminative properties.
Gut-brain axis support, recognizing that IBS involves the nervous system as much as the gut itself. Herbs that support the enteric nervous system and reduce the stress-gut connection are a consistent part of IBS protocols.
Microbiome support through prebiotic herbs, fermented preparations, and the creation of a gut environment that supports microbial diversity and balance.
Mucilaginous herbs including slippery elm and marshmallow root that soothe and coat the gut lining, reducing irritation and supporting healing of the mucosal surface.
For IBD, the herbal focus is on:
Anti-inflammatory herbs with evidence for reducing gut inflammation. Turmeric and its active compound curcumin have substantial evidence for anti-inflammatory action in both Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis, and have been studied specifically in IBD contexts. Boswellia (frankincense) has also been studied specifically in IBD and has evidence for reducing inflammation without the side effects of corticosteroids.
Mucosal healing herbs that support the repair and integrity of the gut lining, which is compromised in IBD.
Immune modulating herbs that address the immune dysregulation driving the inflammatory process, used carefully and in coordination with whatever pharmaceutical management is in place.
Stress and nervous system support, because stress is a well-established trigger for IBD flares and the nervous system-gut connection is deeply relevant in this condition.
Homeopathic support is selected based on your individual symptom picture, including the character of your pain, your bowel patterns, your triggers, and your constitutional presentation.
Peppermint
Enteric-coated peppermint has strong evidence for IBS symptom reduction. Antispasmodic and carminative, it relaxes the smooth muscle of the gut wall and reduces pain and bloating.
Chamomile and cramp bark
Antispasmodic herbs that reduce gut cramping and nervous system-driven gut hypersensitivity. Gentle and well tolerated across most presentations.
Slippery elm and marshmallow root
Mucilaginous herbs that soothe and coat the gut lining, reducing irritation and supporting healing of the mucosal surface. Used in both IBS and IBD.
Turmeric and curcumin
Substantial evidence for anti-inflammatory action in both Crohn's and ulcerative colitis. Studied specifically in IBD contexts with meaningful results.
Boswellia (frankincense)
Studied specifically in IBD and has evidence for reducing inflammation without the side effects of corticosteroids. A valuable tool in the IBD protocol.
Gut-brain axis herbs
Because IBS involves the nervous system as much as the gut itself, herbs that support the enteric nervous system and reduce the stress-gut connection are a consistent part of the protocol.
…there are so many more herbs to support you living with IBS/IBD also. We review all appropriate options with clients in our cilinal appointments.
Common support approaches
People living with IBS and IBD have often already explored many of these approaches. This is the landscape of what is broadly known to help:
Dietary approaches For IBS:
The low-FODMAP diet has the strongest evidence base for IBS symptom reduction. It involves a structured elimination of fermentable carbohydrates followed by systematic reintroduction to identify personal triggers. It is ideally done with guidance, as it is nutritionally restrictive. Other dietary approaches that some people with IBS find helpful include reducing gluten, dairy, caffeine, alcohol, and highly processed foods.
Dietary approaches for IBD:
An anti-inflammatory diet is broadly recommended. The Specific Carbohydrate Diet and the Mediterranean diet have some evidence for IBD management. During flares, easily digestible, low-fibre foods reduce mechanical irritation. Between flares, diverse whole foods support microbiome health.
Heat therapy:
Heat packs applied to the abdomen provide meaningful relief for gut cramping and spasm and are widely used by people with both IBS and IBD.
Hydration:
Adequate fluid intake supports bowel regularity and reduces constipation in IBS-C. For those with IBD who experience diarrhea, fluid and electrolyte replacement is important.
…and more in the full guide
Free resource
The Two Roots IBS/IBS Support Guide
A detailed, expanded guide to supporting your health with IBS/IBD, including all common approaches, herbal and nutritional supports, and practical strategies. Free to download.
IBS/IBD Support Guide.pdf
Expanded guide — free download
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What to expect working together
Gut conditions respond well to herbal medicine, and the gut is one of the areas where people often notice meaningful improvement relatively quickly, at least in terms of symptom relief. Addressing underlying causes takes longer and requires a more sustained commitment.
The initial consultation gives me a thorough picture of your gut history, your symptom pattern, your triggers, your diet, and your current management. Because gut health is so closely tied to stress, nervous system function, and overall systemic health, we look at the whole picture rather than the gut in isolation.
For IBS, the initial focus is often on immediate symptom relief alongside microbiome and gut lining support. For IBD, we work alongside your existing medical management, focusing on inflammation reduction, mucosal healing, and remission support.
Most people working on gut conditions notice meaningful shifts within the first four to six weeks of consistent herbal support. Longer-term gut healing and microbiome restoration is a process of several months.
For a full overview of how consultations work, including fees and the appointment process, visit the Services page.
For a full overview of how consultations work, including fees and the appointment process, visit the Services page.
Your gut is trying to tell you something. It deserves to be heard.
Whether you are navigating the daily unpredictability of IBS or the more serious demands of IBD, you deserve more than symptom management and a restricted diet. Herbal medicine offers a rich and evidence-informed toolkit for gut health that addresses not just the symptoms but the terrain they arise from.
If you are ready to explore what that might look like for your specific picture…I would be glad to hear from you.