The Irritable Bowel Syndrome

The irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic gastrointestinal disorder characterized by chronic nonspecific abdominal pain with altered bowel movements in the absence of known organic disease. IBS is diagnosed by the Rome IV criteria for functional GI disorders. Although research has shown several factors that might be contributing to IBS pathophysiology, there is no specific cause for this disorder identified yet. There are four disease subtypes found in equal proportions: diarrhea, constipation, mixed, and undefined (IBS-U). IBS is a prevalent disorder that primary care physicians evaluate in the clinic. In this chapter, the authors review the epidemiology and updated research regarding its pathophysiology, diagnostics, and integrative therapeutic strategies.