Topic Highlight
Copyright ©2014 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jan 14, 2014; 20(2): 346-362
Published online Jan 14, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i2.346
Complementary and alternative medicines in irritable bowel syndrome: An integrative view
Oliver Grundmann, Saunjoo L Yoon
Oliver Grundmann, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, FL 32610, United States
Oliver Grundmann, Saunjoo L Yoon, Department of Adult and Elderly Nursing, College of Nursing, University of Florida, FL 32610, United States
Author contributions: Grundmann O and Yoon SL performed research and wrote the paper.
Correspondence to: Oliver Grundmann, PhD, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, PO Box 100485, Gainesville, FL 32610, United States. grundman@ufl.edu
Telephone: +1-352-2464994 Fax: +1-352-3929455
Received: September 9, 2013
Revised: November 11, 2013
Accepted: December 12, 2013
Published online: January 14, 2014
Processing time: 132 Days and 9.2 Hours
Core Tip

Core tip: Irritable bowel syndrome is a prevalent gastrointestinal disorder that interferes with daily living in 5%-20% of the population. The current review summarizes the most widely used complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) approaches that have proven to be effective and have been endorsed by professional organizations. The review encourages the use of both pharmacotherapy and CAM approaches in an integrative setting to provide the best outcome and quality of life to patients.