Hypnotherapy is highly effective for children with long-term abdominal pain or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), new research has found.

Researchers from St. Antonius Hospital in the Netherlands used hypnosis to relief IBS pain in children aged 8 to18.

During the three months of hypnotherapy sessions, children were taught about the mind's ability to regulate bodily functions as well as learning general relaxation and self-hypnosis techniques.

The researchers compared the results with a control group who received standard education, dietary advice, and pain medication and discussed possible triggers to stomach pain with a support assistant.

The method was found to be "highly superior" to standard care, yielding a significantly greater reduction in pain.

Moreover, 85 percent of children in the hypnotherapy group were considered successfully treated versus only 25 percent of children in the control group.

IBS is a common problem, in which patients suffer chronic gastric discomfort like cramping, diarrhea or constipation.

JM/NM/HGH