Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is known to affect millions of Americans and can be surprisingly disruptive to a person's life. Yet little in the way of treatment is offered by the medical community. The IBS Treatment Center, the first such clinic in the United States, is offering people not only hope, but real answers, and changing the perception that IBS is not curable.
In the past 2 years the IBS Treatment Center has experienced tremendous growth. Patients have come to the IBS Treatment Center from over 30 different states and from countries around the world. People with IBS or any of the symptoms related to IBS, such as chronic constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloating, or abdominal pain are encouraged to seek medical care designed to correctly diagnose and treat their specific conditions at the IBS Treatment Center.
"It has been very rewarding to help people solve problems for which they have been unable to find answers anywhere else," states Dr. Wangen, co-founder of the IBS Treatment Center. "We take IBS and digestive problems very seriously. The symptoms have very real causes and are not 'all in your head.' We do not blame stress or just tell people they need more fiber. We perform the exams and diagnostic testing required to find the specific conditions causing the symptoms, which are unique to each individual."
The standard of care for IBS among most physicians and specialists is to rule out cancer and structural abnormalities and then recommend fiber, stress reduction, symptom-masking drugs, and sometimes hypnotherapy. Patients are often told that the primary cause of their symptoms is stress and many come to believe it is their own fault. Unfortunately this standard of care leaves most IBS patients with continuing symptoms.
At the IBS Treatment Center, patients find access to diagnostic examinations and testing that can reveal the physiological conditions that cause IBS symptoms. Although there is no single cause of IBS symptoms, the proper testing reveals which of the many causes are affecting the individual patient. The IBS Treatment Center is then able to provide a custom treatment plan to address the individual's unique situation.
The IBS Treatment Center is located in the Nordstrom Medical Tower at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle, Washington. If you would like to learn more about the IBS Treatment Center you are encouraged to visit the website: www.IBSTreatmentCenter.com.
About IBS:
IBS is defined by symptoms that include: abdominal pain or discomfort associated with either diarrhea, constipation, or both, and often with gas, or bloating. It affects up to twice as many women as men, and is second only to the common cold as a cause for worker absenteeism. Up to 20 percent of the population suffers from IBS, according to the National Institutes of Health. A collection of relevant peer-reviewed research on the causes of the symptoms that make up IBS is available at Innate Health Foundation - Research.
About Dr. Stephen Wangen:
Dr. Stephen Wangen is a licensed and board certified physician. He received his doctoral degree in naturopathic medicine from the internationally renowned Bastyr University. He specializes in digestive disorders and food allergies and has first-hand experience with IBS, having been diagnosed with it in 1994. He subsequently cured his digestive problems by correctly diagnosing and treating the physiological conditions causing his IBS symptoms. Due to a long history of success in treating common digestive disorders and the tremendous need for a clinic focused on the treatment of digestive disorders and irritable bowel syndrome, he founded the IBS Treatment Center in 2005, where he serves as the Chief Medical Officer.
Dr. Wangen serves on the Board of Trustees for the Gluten Intolerant Group of North America, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and advocating for people with gluten intolerance. He is also the Research Director for the Innate Health Foundation, a public charity devoted to supporting the IBS and food allergy communities through education, research, and financial support.