Irritable bowel syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome care at Mayo Clinic

Your Mayo Clinic care team

Doctors trained in digestive diseases (gastroenterologists) evaluate and treat people who have IBS at Mayo Clinic. Specialists in the Motility Clinic are frequently involved in care. These physicians have special training in conditions involving the movement of food through the digestive system (motility).

Mayo Clinic specialists in physical medicine and rehabilitation provide detailed programs of biofeedback to treat constipation and diarrhea. The Motility Clinic also works closely with Mayo Clinic psychologists to evaluate and treat people with IBS who might benefit from counseling and help with chronic pain.

Nurses with special training in IBS teach a daily class for people with the condition, with input from registered dietitians, behavioral psychologists and physical therapists.

Having all of this specialized expertise in a single place, focused on you, means that you're not just getting one opinion — care is talked about among the team, appointments are scheduled in coordination, and highly specialized IBS experts are all working together to determine what's best for you.

Advanced diagnosis and treatment

Mayo Clinic specialists use several tests, some of them developed at Mayo Clinic, to assess the functioning of your digestive system.

Depending on your symptoms, your Mayo Clinic specialist might recommend:

• Gastrointestinal transit study (scintigraphy), to assess the movement of food through your digestive tract.
• Anorectal function testing, to measure the coordination of the muscles you use to move your bowels.
• Defecography, to obtain images of muscles you use when passing stool.
• Dynamic pelvic floor MRI, to identify any problems in your pelvic floor muscles.
• Screening for celiac disease, gluten sensitivity without celiac disease, bacterial overgrowth, lactose and sugar intolerance, and bile acid malabsorption.

Expertise and rankings

Experience

Each year, Mayo Clinic doctors diagnose and treat around 4,000 people with IBS. The subspecialists in the Motility Clinic are skilled in distinguishing IBS from other disorders, and recommending highly focused therapeutic approaches to meet your needs.

Research leader

For years, Mayo Clinic researchers have conducted clinical trials involving IBS and digestive diseases. People treated at Mayo are among the first to benefit from new findings made at Mayo Clinic.

Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, ranks No. 1 for digestive disorders in the U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals rankings. Mayo Clinic in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona, and Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, are ranked among the Best Hospitals for digestive disorders by U.S. News & World Report. Mayo Clinic Children's Center in Rochester is ranked the No. 1 hospital in Minnesota, and the five-state region of Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin, according to U.S. News & World Report's 2024–2025 "Best Children's Hospitals" rankings.

Learn more about Mayo Clinic's gastroenterology and hepatology department's expertise and rankings.

Locations, travel and lodging

Mayo Clinic has major campuses in Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona; Jacksonville, Florida; and Rochester, Minnesota. The Mayo Clinic Health System has dozens of locations in several states.

For more information on visiting Mayo Clinic, choose your location below:

Costs and insurance

Mayo Clinic works with hundreds of insurance companies and is an in-network provider for millions of people.

In most cases, Mayo Clinic doesn't require a physician referral. Some insurers require referrals or may have additional requirements for certain medical care. All appointments are prioritized on the basis of medical need.

Learn more about appointments at Mayo Clinic.

Please contact your insurance company to verify medical coverage and to obtain any needed authorization prior to your visit. Often, your insurer's customer service number is printed on the back of your insurance card.