The Gut-Brain Connection

For years, gastroenterologist Tina Storage, MD, saw patients who had hard-to-explain symptoms that affected their digestive tracts. “They might experience diarrhea, bloating, constipation, or abdominal pain, but their labs came back totally normal, and traditional treatments didn’t help,” she says. “Clearly, there was more going on.”

In her search for explanations, Dr. Storage, who specializes in inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome, researched holistic approaches to digestive health disorders, a discipline known as functional gastroenterology (GI). What she found was surprising: The gut and brain are interconnected, meaning an imbalance in one can affect the other. The good news? Treating functional GI disorders may be easier than you expect.

Go with your gut

The term “gut feeling” is not just a turn of phrase. The gut and brain are connected through the vagus nerve, which is why you might feel symptoms of anxiety, stress, or fear in your digestive tract. And for some people, normal digestion processes might trigger a fight-or-flight response.

“When the brain perceives normal GI tract feelings as being really wrong, people can have symptoms such as abdominal discomfort or bloating,” Dr. Storage says. “The brain becomes wired that way, but we can naturally break that circuitry and help the brain feel calm again.”

Simple solutions

Dr. Storage says she works with people to rewire their gut-brain connection in two ways: through gut hypnotherapy and medication. With the first, patients listen to programming on an app for about 15 minutes every day — and follow-up surveys have cited 9 out of 10 users reporting meaningful progress in just a few weeks.

“The programming works on a subconscious level, and it’s been shown in study after study to have a profound effect on gut health,” Dr. Storage says. “It’s fascinating what such a simple tool can do.”

Dr. Storage sometimes prescribes medication that aids in rewiring nerve pathways between the brain and gut. She also recommends yoga, tai chi, and light outdoor exercise, all of which can support digestive and mental health.

Undeniable results

Dr. Storage says she has been inspired to see positive outcomes for patients who once felt that they couldn’t go to social events for fear of their digestive symptoms acting up.

“When I worked with people on holistic approaches, I started seeing real results,” she says. “Functional GI techniques really work.”

If your gut symptoms are severe or interfere with your daily activities, talk with your doctor. They can help figure out if there’s an underlying cause and offer treatments to help you find relief. Find an Adventist Health provider near you.