Gastroparesis

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Permalink Reply by Katherine Zimmerman on October 1, 2010 at 4:05pm

Alicia,

Check with Melissa Roth here on HT. She's a very experienced medical hypnotherapist.

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Permalink Reply by Michael Ellner on October 1, 2010 at 5:52pm

Hi Alicia,


Dan Cleary and I recently made a presentation to over 100 frontline pain clinicians attending PAINWEEK 2010 that focused on the benefits and advantage of utilizing certified hypnosis professionals in their practices. I mention this because I love saying it and our presentation focused on how certified Medical Hypnosis professionals like us, could improve the quality of their patient's lives.
It is as simple as teaching their patients how to relax, release toxic emotions, de-stress, recharge and refocus their attention in ways that promote feeling better, healing faster and generally being more effective. We demonstrated how this approach could help patients with a wide range of pain related to cancer, neuropathies, FMS, CFS, CP, RA, MS, and gastroparesis take the unnecessary suffering out of their pain. But, enough about Dan and me...

I am confident that you can help your client put her gastroparesis symptoms into remission by simply teaching and motivating her to practice intentional relaxation (self-hypno-meditation and imagery) on a daily basis. I recommend utilizing imagery that focuses on gently and effectively moving food through her digestive track and seeing and FEELING herself enjoying life again, in the context of teaching her how to relax, release toxic emotions, de-stress, recharge and refocus her attention in ways that promote feeling better, healing faster and generally being more effective.

If the idea that teaching your client(s) how to creatively manage stress and use self-hypnosis jives with ya -- I highly recommend Alan Barsky's and my Guided Self-help program for IBS. Our program can easily be modified to helping a wide range of your client(s)

Michael E.

For more info check out:

http://www.quantumfocusing.com/quantumfocusing/ORDER_PAGE.html

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Permalink Reply by Melissa J. Roth on October 1, 2010 at 6:24pm

Alicia,
My daughter was diagnosed with gastroparesis last Sept. It's not a fun illness. When hers started she was very happy and high functioning--hiking, snow boarding, playing too much, not studying enough to please her mom....typical college student. I've helped her manage her symptoms and she is pretty much under control now. She has minor flare ups sometimes, mostly due to doing something contrary to what her body needs and desires. Again, typical student.

Conventional medicine does not have a lot to offer the patient with gastroparesis.

The first thing to do is to teach your client how to achieve deep states of relaxation. Help her to manage her diet---5-6 or more small meals instead of 3 meals, low glycemic foods, lots of non-carbonated liquids. A little caffeine in the morning is good, such as 1 cup of coffee, but no more than that and none during the day. A small amount of caffeine stimulates the gut to move but more than that acts as an inhibitor. Teach her to chew, chew, chew. Most people do not chew their food properly and they swallow prematurely. She needs to be on a high fiber, low glycemic index diet.

Beyond the basic behavior modification techniques I used portions of my IBS protocol to stimulate the gut to move normally and the stomach to empty normally and completely.

Is your client over weight? Is her blood sugar normal or high? She should monitor her blood sugar on a daily basis for a month and adjust her diet accordingly.

Gastroparesis creates stress in your life. I'm not sure stress creates gastroparesis. In my daughter's case I know that stress was not the root cause. But, the gastroparesis created a lot of stress and intense pain. Pain meds only exacerbate gastroparesis by further inhibiting contractions of the gut.

If she has constipation have her use stool softeners, laxatives and enemas or a series of colonics to clear the stool. The stool can create a blockage that causes the rest of the gut to not want to move. It's important for her to have a bowel movement every day.

Exercise: walk a mile a day at a steady pace. Not power walking and not stopping every few feet to admire the neighbors new flowers. Greater distances are not required or beneficial. Best done first thing in the AM. followed by a cup of coffee and 1/2 cup of a high fiber cereal. Eat a small amount again in 2 hours. Repeat every 2-3 hours. Do not go 4 hours without eating.

There's more, of course, but this will get you and her started on the right track.

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Permalink Reply by Alicia Gremely on October 5, 2010 at 4:09pm

Thank you both so much. I am taking notes and planning the session. I will let you know after I see her. THANK YOU> THANK YOU.

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