5 minute read
Holistic and Integrative Medical Care for Children with GI Issues
Written by Stephanie Stemmler
Imagine a place where children can find holistic relief from a wide range of gastrointestinal (GI) problems. A place where both children and parents can learn about evidence-based holistic treatments — not just medications, but also herbal supplements, psychosocial care, and meditation and breathing techniques — for relief of common GI issues, such as abdominal pain, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
That place is a reality at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital. Earlier this year, the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology opened the IMAGINE clinic. Formally called the Integrative Medicine Addressing Gastro Intestinal Needs with Evidence program, IMAGINE is designed as a one-stop clinical program to help both pediatric patients and their families manage and improve digestive problems.
“I’m convinced that diseases of the gut are not just medical problems. They are influenced by everything in your life, whether it is social relationships, stress levels, how you are exercising or interacting with people and what you eat,” says pediatric gastroenterologist Aniruddh Setya,
MD, medical director of the IMAGINE program. “My goal is to empower children with the information and tools they need to get better.”
SSM Health Cardinal Glennon’s IMAGINE program is one of just eight pediatric integrative gastrointestinal medicine clinics in the country. The program is the result of a long-standing vision of Dr. Setya’s, who holds advanced certification through the Academy of Pediatric Integrative Medicine and is a member of the Integrative Medicine Special Interest Group of the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN).
Life-changing Options for GI Care
Tessa Gambling, 13, was one of the first adolescents to come to the IMAGINE clinic. She had been battling chronic abdominal pain, nausea and fatigue for more than a year. “I would get anxious about my stomach to the point where I would leave a soccer game,” she says. “I didn’t want to go to school because I would have a stomach episode. My legs would go numb, and I’d profusely sweat. There were times when I felt like my throat was closing off and I couldn’t breathe.”
Tessa’s mother, Laine Hosey, asked for multiple rounds of testing, but everything was almost normal. She learned the symptoms could be part of a mind−gut connection and found the IMAGINE clinic.
“Parents often wonder if there is something horribly wrong that a doctor missed,” says Dr. Setya. “We go over all of the symptoms in a comprehensive visit, asking what they eat, their water intake, quality of sleep, the amount of processed or packaged food they consume, school and home activities, and when they notice their symptoms.”
In addition to lab tests and an hour-long clinic exam, patients see a child psychologist, dietitian and social worker, making it a onestop option for diagnosis and treatment options. “The mind−body connection is critical to understand because we know that stress and anxiety can increase digestive problems.”
For Tessa, meditation, breathing techniques, exercises and supplements such as peppermint oil and vitamin B2 got her back on track. Says Hosey, “I love the fact that the goal of treatment is to not just look at medications. At first, I thought it was a little weird and I didn’t know how all this would help Tessa, but it really did.”
Psychologist Dazialee Goodwin, PhD, also worked with Tessa’s school district to submit a 504 plan that enabled Tessa to leave school and manage her symptoms more easily. “I think the teachers were more understanding with the 504 plan in place when Tessa’s stomach issues required her to leave the classroom suddenly,” says Hosey.
Today, Tessa is a confident young teen. “I can go on vacation with my family or go on sleepovers with friends without worrying about my stomach pains,” says Tessa. “I can control most of my symptoms and not go into full-on panic mode.”
Dr. Setya stresses that not all supplements are safe. Many, in fact, don’t have evidence-based proof that they work. But there are proven supplements, including peppermint oil, magnesium and CCF tea (comprising coriander, cumin and fennel) that have robust evidence that they are effective for certain pediatric gut health conditions.
Says Dr. Setya, “We need insurance companies to recognize the value of integrative medicine and holistic treatment options because they work. It is not a replacement for all medications, but it can decrease the dependence on pharmaceuticals.”
Adds Tessa, “Because of the IMAGINE clinic, I no longer isolate myself or avoid a lot of food. I never thought breathing techniques or meditation would work so well along with the supplements, but it’s been great…and it’s a huge relief.”
