Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) affects an estimated 6 to 14 percent of children and 22 to 35.5 percent of teens. Symptoms of IBS – the most common among the disorders of gut-brain interaction – include abdominal pain or discomfort, and changes in bowel patterns that can significantly impact quality of life for affected children.

IB-STIM is an exciting treatment that is helping change the lives of IBS patients and their families. When patients come to Nicklaus Children's to begin IB-Stim treatment, they are missing school and are unable to eat or exercise. Within a few weeks, they are back in school and are happily eating and exercising, some with a total remission of their pain.

What is IB-STIM?

IB-STIM is a device-based solution that uses electrical stimulation to improve IBS symptoms and quality of life. A single treatment series, which can be completed in as little as four to six weeks, can offer long-lasting benefits.

Here are steps associated with IB-STIM for eligible patients:

• During an outpatient appointment, a clinician places the IB-STIM device externally behind the patient’s ear and positions electronic leads on or near the ear. This mechanism facilitates transfer of electrical impulses to cranial nerve bundles within the ear that affect areas of the brain responsible for processing pain. No incisions are involved in placement of the device.
• Once the device is in place, the patient goes about daily life, wearing the device for five days in a row (Monday through Friday in most cases). While in place, the device sends electrical impulses for two hours and then stops for an interval of approximately 35 minutes before starting up again.
• Following the five-day schedule, a caregiver then removes the device from the patient’s head at home. Two days later, the patient returns to Nicklaus Children’s to have the device and leads repositioned for another week of treatment.
• The full therapy program lasts four to six weeks in total. Despite the short-term nature of therapy, results are often significant and long-lasting.

Available to a Growing Patient Population

Soon after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the IB-STIM device for use in children ages 11 to 18, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital became one of the first in the country to offer an IB-STIM program. More recently, the FDA expanded approval to cover patients ages 8 to 21, providing the therapy for a growing number of patients.

The vast majority of patients we see in the office fit into a category that may qualify for treatment with IB-STIM. In fact, every clinician within pediatric gastroenterology will see these patients on a daily basis, and this innovation gives a first-line treatment for all severities of the disease, from mild to severe.

A National Leader in IB-STIM Comprehensive Care

Nicklaus Children’s is honored to be recognized by NeurAxis — creator of IB-STIM — as an IB-STIM Center of Excellence. This title is bestowed on centers that focus on meeting the wide-ranging needs of patients, including:

• Mental healthcare
• Nutrition services
• Physical therapy  

Since inaugurating the IB-STIM program in 2019, Nicklaus Children’s has established and followed best practices to meet pediatric IBS patients’ varying needs. As a result, Nicklaus Children’s offers the most robust IB-STIM program in the Southeast and one of only four IB-STIM Centers of Excellence in the United States.

Based on the severity of symptoms, additional therapies may be needed to correct IBS symptoms. Comprehensive multidisciplinary care helps make the most of the device therapy, as is establishing proper expectations and ensuring overall compliance by the pediatric patient and their caregivers.

We’re rewiring pathways to produce less pain in the abdomen, but IB-STIM isn’t a magic pill that does away with disorders of gut-brain interactions. It opens the door to kickstart other changes. Families who address all facets – nutrition, physical activity and mental health – reap substantial rewards well after IB-STIM treatment ends.

To refer a patient for IB-STIM or other IBS treatment at Nicklaus Children’s, please contact the Nicklaus Children’s Customer Care Center at 1-888-624-2778.