Constitutional Homoeopathic Treatment and Health-Related Quality of Life in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Prospective Observational Cohort Study from Kolkata

Abstract

ABSTRACT Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a prevalent functional gastrointestinal disorder characterised by chronic or recurrent abdominal pain associated with altered bowel habits, substantially impairing health-related quality of life across its physical, psychological, and social dimensions. Constitutional homoeopathic treatment, which addresses the patient's totality — including mental and general characteristics alongside local gastrointestinal symptoms — is widely practised for IBS in India, yet prospective evidence on its impact on validated quality-of-life outcomes over an extended follow-up period is limited. This prospective observational cohort study enrolled 96 adult patients meeting Rome IV criteria for IBS at four homoeopathic medical college outpatient departments in West Bengal, of whom 84 completed six months of constitutional homoeopathic treatment and follow-up assessment. Health related quality of life was measured at baseline, three months, and six months using the IBS-specific quality of life instrument (IBS-QOL), which assesses eight subscales covering dysphoria, activity interference, body image, health worry, food avoidance, social reaction, sexual function, and relationships. Statistically significant improvements were observed across all eight IBS-QOL subscales from baseline to six months (all p < 0.001), with mean total IBS QOL score improving from 39.4 to 69.8 (mean change +30.4 points; 95% CI: 27.6–33.2). The greatest absolute improvements were observed in the dysphoria and activity interference subscales. These findings suggest that constitutional homoeopathic treatment is associated with clinically meaningful improvement in health-related quality of life across all dimensions of the IBS QOL instrument over a six-month treatment period.

KEYWORDS: - Homeopathic therapeutics, Irritable bowel syndrome, Health related quality of life, IBS-QOL, Constitutional homoeopathy, Functional gastrointestinal disorder, Prospective cohort study, Rome IV criteria