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Key takeaways:
- IBS is a gut-brain disorder – symptoms come from how the gut and brain communicate, not from damage to the gut.¹
- Over 40% of people globally live with a gut-brain disorder, and IBS is one of the most common.²
- Gut-brain therapy is recommended by leading gastroenterology guidelines as a first-line approach for managing IBS.³
- Most people manage IBS best by combining gut-brain therapy with diet and medication.
IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) is classified as a gut-brain disorder¹ – a condition where altered communication between the gut and brain drives digestive symptoms without any visible damage to the digestive tract.
In this 3-part video series, psychophysiologist and Nerva co-founder Dr Simone Peters from Monash University explains what gut-brain disorders are, how gut-brain therapy works, and how IBS and other gut-brain disorders are managed.
What is a gut-brain disorder?
(2 minutes)
Here Dr. Peters explains what gut-brain disorders are, why standard tests come back "normal," and how gut-brain disorders including IBS, functional dyspepsia, and functional constipation are diagnosed using the Rome Foundation criteria
What is gut-brain therapy?
(1.15 min)
Watch Dr. Peters explain what gut-brain therapy is, what it involves, and why it's recommended by NICE (UK) and the American College of Gastroenterology as a front-line non-pharmacological approach for gut-brain disorders including IBS.
How are gut-brain disorders managed?
(1.21 minutes)
Here Dr. Peters breaks down the main management options for IBS and other gut-brain disorders: the low FODMAP diet, antispasmodics and neuromodulators, and gut-brain therapy via the Nerva program, which combines CBT-informed coaching, gut-directed hypnotherapy, and breathing techniques.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my brain make my gut hurt?
The brain and gut communicate constantly through the gut-brain axis, and in gut-brain disorders like IBS, that communication becomes oversensitive – so normal digestion gets misread as pain, bloating, or urgency. This is called visceral hypersensitivity, and it explains why people with IBS feel real physical symptoms without any visible damage to the gut.
Is IBS all in your head?
IBS is not imagined or psychological – it's a disorder of gut-brain interaction, meaning symptoms come from how the nerves in the gut and brain communicate. The pain, bloating, and bowel changes are physical and real, even though nothing shows up on scans or blood tests.
What is the difference between IBS and DGBI?
IBS is the most common type of disorder of gut-brain interaction (DGBI), but it's not the only one – DGBI is the umbrella category. Other DGBIs include functional dyspepsia, functional heartburn, and functional constipation, all driven by the same miscommunication between the gut and brain.
Can you fix the gut-brain connection?
The gut-brain connection can be retrained through gut-brain therapy, which uses techniques like gut-directed hypnotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy to calm the oversensitive nerve signalling driving symptoms. Nerva is a 6-week gut-brain therapy program co-founded by Dr Simone Peters that delivers these techniques through daily 15-20 minute sessions.
How do I know if my IBS is caused by stress?
Stress doesn't cause IBS directly, but it's one of the most common triggers for flare-ups because the nervous system and digestive system are so closely linked. If your symptoms worsen during anxious or stressful periods – or improve when you're relaxed – the gut-brain connection is likely playing a big role in your symptoms.
References
Drossman DA, Hasler WL. Rome IV – functional GI disorders: disorders of gut-brain interaction. Gastroenterology. 2016;150(6):1257-1261.
Sperber AD, Bangdiwala SI, Drossman DA, et al. Worldwide prevalence and burden of functional gastrointestinal disorders, results of Rome Foundation global study. Gastroenterology. 2021;160(1):99-114.e3.
Lacy BE, Pimentel M, Brenner DM, et al. ACG clinical guideline: management of irritable bowel syndrome. Am J Gastroenterol. 2021;116(1):17-44.
Anderson EJ, Peters SL, Gibson PR, Halmos EP. Comparison of digitally delivered gut-directed hypnotherapy program with an active control for irritable bowel syndrome. Am J Gastroenterol. 2025;120(2):440-448.
