Treatments for a Spastic Colon

About 20 percent of the world's population suffer from spastic colon, taking over asthma, diabetes and depression with its number of sufferers. Although popularly tagged as "brain-gut dysfunction," spastic colon is a physical, not a psychological, condition. And even though it is a physical condition, it is not a disease like cancer. It does, however, affect the functions of the colon. This functional disorder simply means that the colon does not work the way it should.

No Cure

• Spastic colon does not have a cure; it is a condition that will have to be treated for life. Diet, exercise and medication can help control the symptoms.

Diet

• Avoid insoluble fiber and foods that are high in fat. Narrow your food choices to those that are full of soluble fiber to aid digestion. Determine what foods trigger attacks to prevent future attacks. Some of the foods that are consistent in causing such attacks include high-fat foods, spicy foods, coffee and alcohol.

Exercise

• Doing low-impact exercises, such as walking, swimming and cycling, assists in reducing the symptoms. Stress is known to aggravate spastic colon symptoms, and exercising will help manage stress as well as the symptoms of the disease.

Medication

• Depending on the severity of the symptoms, a person may be prescribed a pain reliever, a low-dose anti-depressant, an anti-diarrheal agent and a high-fiber bulking agent, and anti-spasmotic agents.

Alternative Treatments

• Many people believe that ancient Chinese practices such as acupuncture, reflexology and the use of Chinese herbs and therapeutic oils are helpful in curing spastic colon. Meditation exercises such as yoga and tai chi are also helpful in minimizing the attacks.

Left Untreated

• If a person does suffer from spastic colon and it is not treated, other problems such as ulcerative colitis and diverticulosis can occur.