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Interestingly, just some psychological therapies can bring down the symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, according to a study  published in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

IBS is a chronic abdominal pain that may range from bloating and diarrhea to constipation and related problems. Currently, IBS affects an estimated 7 to 16 percent of the U.S. population.

"Our study is the first one that has looked at long-term effects," said senior author Lynn S. Walker, professor of pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, in a news release."We found that the moderate benefit that psychological therapies confer in the short term continue over the long term. This is significant because IBS is a chronic, intermittent condition for which there is no good medical treatment."

Scientists examined various kinds of therapies, including "cognitive therapies, hypnosis and relaxation", according to scienceworldreport. However, the effectiveness of the treatment was not impacted by its type or length.

"In this study, we looked at the effect of psychological therapies on gastrointestinal symptoms. In a follow-up study I am investigating the effect that they have on patients' ability to function: go to work, go to school, participate in social activities and so on," Laird concluded.