Electric jolt in your neck that tames IBS

STIMULATING a nerve in the neck could help tackle gut problems.

Researchers at the Royal Free Hospital in London are conducting a trial of a portable device, which patients hold against the side of their neck, to treat two common gastrointestinal complaints: functional dyspepsia (indigestion that’s not caused by an ulcer) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Up to 11 per cent of people are thought to be affected by IBS, which can cause stomach cramps, bloating, diarrhoea or constipation, at some point.

The device, called Gammacore, sends mild electric pulses to the vagus nerve, which

runs from the brain to the abdomen and relays messages to and from the heart, lungs and digestive system.

One theory is that interfering with signals passing along this nerve will affect the chemical messenger, serotonin — 95 per cent of our body’s serotonin is thought to be found in the digestive tract.

Some research suggests IBS patients who suffer from diarrhoea may have increased serotonin levels in the gut, and that the body reacts by lowering serotonin, which can then trigger constipation.

Just how it works is not fully understood, but one theory is it stimulates the nerves that control muscle contraction.

In an eight-week trial, 100 patients with either dyspepsia or IBS will use either the battery-powered stimulator or a dummy therapy at home.