Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome (MALS)

Yes She had a CT angio - celiac artery was fine. She has a gastroenterologist who can’t figure out why she can not keep food down. After surgery she couldn’t keep food down then went home on a liquid diet hoping to move to soft foods. It never happened. It’s been 1 1/2 months since surgery. She’s now back in the hospital on a feeding tube to give her nutrients while they try to figure out why she still can’t keep food down. Anything she takes in, goes down and comes back up, even liquids.

My brother found an article on John Hopkins website Hopkins medicine.org (I wasn’t able to add the link). It’s titled The Brain-Gut Connection. I think it might be helpful to others on this platform.

Sharing this info from Northwestern Hospital’s website…

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Gastrointestinal Symptoms
Living with chronic and unpredictable gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms can be stressful and can affect work, relationships, and our overall quality of life. Stress can negatively impact our physical health as well, and our GI tract is one of the first systems in our bodies to experience these consequences. Stress can directly impact the GI tract by interfering with the signaling between the brain and the gut and make GI symptoms worse.

Psychological interventions like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) target brain-gut dysfunction directly to improve GI health and also address stress management and lifestyle factors to improve patients’ health and well-being. Psychological or behavioral interventions are first-line treatments for some GI conditions and can be more effective than medications. For other conditions, these treatments are helpful in addition to medications.

According to the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (IFFGD), CBT is a form of psychotherapy that has consistently been shown to be effective in reducing the symptoms of functional digestive disorders, like IBS.

CBT can be a helpful tool in teaching individuals how their thoughts and behaviors can impact their symptom experience. CBT emphasizes patients’ understanding of their condition, the role of stress, and the impact of their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors on their symptoms. Patients learn skills to help change their physiological, cognitive, and behavioral responses to both GI symptoms and stress. Unlike CBT for depression or anxiety, CBT for functional GI disorders targets the GI symptoms, rather than treating the psychological distress associated with these symptoms.

CBT is a time-limited treatment, and most patients see significant symptom improvement by the end of the course of treatment, which is typically four to seven sessions, with one session every other week. Treatment is tailored to the specific symptoms and responses of the patient presenting for treatment. Some patients are not good candidates for CBT. At the first visit, your therapist will ask you questions to help come up with the best treatment plan for you.

The Behavioral Medicine for Digestive Health program is fully integrated into the Northwestern Medicine Department of Medicine and Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. The service is staffed* by psychologists and health psychology trainees with specialized training in digestive diseases, who will work directly with your gastroenterologist to coordinate your care.

@robin0135, I noticed that you wished to post a URL to articles with your posts. You will be able to add URLs to your posts in a few days. There is a brief period where new members can't post links. We do this to deter spammers and keep the community safe.

Allow me to post them for you:
- The Brain-Gut Connection https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-brain-gut-connection
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Gastrointestinal Symptoms https://www.nm.org/conditions-and-care-areas/treatments/cognitive-behavioral-therapy

Thanks so much!