IBS Care in Canada: When to Choose Private Virtual Care vs. Hospital GI

The Tummy Clinic | November 13th, 2025

You’re not alone if you’ve been told everything looks “normal.”

Maybe you’ve done it all — the colonoscopy, the ultrasounds, the bloodwork. You’ve waited months for results, only to hear: “Everything looks fine.”
But you don’t feel fine. Your gut still hurts, your mornings are unpredictable, and you’re starting to wonder if anyone really understands what’s happening.

If that sounds familiar, you’re part of a growing number of Canadians living with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) or another Disorder of Gut–Brain Interaction (DGBI) — conditions that don’t show up on standard tests but profoundly affect daily life.

Why the Traditional Path Often Feels Like a Dead End

Hospital-based gastroenterology care plays an essential role in ruling out serious disease. At that stage, medical testing matters — and OHIP does it well:

  • Colonoscopy, endoscopy, and imaging to check for structural disease
  • Blood and stool tests for inflammation or infection
  • Medication trials for constipation or diarrhea-dominant symptoms

But once those tests come back clear, many patients are left with no roadmap for what comes next. You might be told, “It’s probably IBS — try some fibre or stress reduction.” And that’s where things stall.

That’s not a failure of medicine — it’s a gap in the system. IBS is a multifactorial, whole-body condition, influenced by how your gut moves, how your brain interprets signals, and how your muscles, diet, and emotions interact.

Where Virtual Multidisciplinary Care Steps In

That’s where The Tummy Clinic comes in. We bridge the gap between medical testing and meaningful, ongoing treatment — bringing together a team of clinicians who finally work in sync.

Nurse Practitioner (NP): provides medical coordination, prescription management, and bridges care with your gastroenterologist or family doctor.

Naturopathic Doctors (NDs): specialize in Disorders of Gut–Brain Interaction (DGBI), addressing motility, stool regulation, and long-term gut function.

Monash-trained Dietitians (RDs): personalize nutrition strategies, guide FODMAP phases, and help patients rebuild dietary variety — not restriction.

Psychotherapists: offer CBT and gut-directed hypnotherapy to retrain brain–gut communication, reduce urgency, and calm flares.

Physiotherapists: support pelvic and abdominal wall function, release chronic tension, and help with motility, bloating, and incomplete evacuation.

Together, this team develops a 360° integrated care plan that treats your gut as part of your entire system — not as an isolated organ.

Why Virtual and Integrated Care Works So Well for IBS

  • Faster Access: Appointments within days, not months.
  • Whole-Body Lens: We address your physiology, psychology, and lifestyle in parallel.
  • Seamless Coordination: Our clinicians communicate behind the scenes so you don’t have to.
  • Extended Benefits Coverage: While not OHIP-funded, services from NDs, RDs, psychotherapists, physiotherapists, and NPs are often eligible under extended plans.

IBS is about patterns — how your nervous system, muscles, and microbiome communicate. A virtual, multidisciplinary team can finally see those patterns clearly and help you change them for good.

When to Consider Private Virtual Care

Choose virtual multidisciplinary care if:

  • You’ve already completed medical testing but still have symptoms.
  • You’re stuck on a long specialist waitlist and need care now.
  • You feel like your care is fragmented across multiple providers.
  • You want a plan that integrates nutrition, physiology, and psychology.
  • You want continuity — one team that coordinates your care from start to finish.

The Bottom Line

If every test has said you’re “fine,” but your gut tells you otherwise — it’s time for a team that listens and connects the dots.

At The Tummy Clinic, our clinicians — including a nurse practitioner, naturopathic doctors, dietitians, psychotherapists, and physiotherapists — work together to help your system flow again.

Ready to start feeling better?
Book a Free Discovery Call — meet a clinician who actually understands IBS.

Frequently Asked Questions

Managing IBS with diarrhea can be challenging, but making the right food choices can help. Here’s what works for many people with IBS:

  • Low FODMAP diet: This dietary approach helps reduce symptoms like diarrhea, bloating, and stomach pain. It involves removing certain foods and gradually reintroducing them to see which ones trigger your symptoms.
  • Easy-to-digest foods: Stick with foods like plain rice, cooked carrots, zucchini, and lean proteins (e.g., chicken, fish) to ease digestion.
  • Avoiding triggers: Steer clear of fatty, spicy, or fried foods, as well as dairy and caffeine. These can worsen symptoms for many people with IBS.

If you’re unsure which foods work for you, consulting with a healthcare provider can help you create a personalized meal plan.

Bloating, gas, and stomach pain are common in IBS. These symptoms often result from:

  • Gas buildup: Undigested food or fermentation in the intestines can cause gas and bloating.
  • Gut motility issues: In IBS, food may move too quickly or slowly through the digestive tract, leading to discomfort.
  • Food sensitivities: Certain foods like high FODMAP foods can cause bloating or pain.

Managing these symptoms typically involves diet modifications, stress management, and finding the foods that work best for your body.

IBS constipation can be tough, but there are ways to improve bowel movements:

  • Increase soluble fiber: Foods like oats, bananas, and carrots can help soften stool.
  • Stay hydrated: Drinking plenty of water helps keep things moving.
  • Exercise regularly: Physical activity helps stimulate digestion.

If these strategies don’t work, gentle laxatives or stool softeners might be considered, but always under the guidance of a healthcare professional.

Certain foods can make IBS symptoms worse, including:

  • High FODMAP foods: These include foods like onions, garlic, certain fruits (e.g., apples, watermelon), and dairy.
  • Fatty foods: Rich, greasy foods often cause discomfort for those with IBS.
  • Caffeine and alcohol: These can irritate the digestive system and increase symptoms like diarrhea or bloating.

By tracking your food intake and symptoms, you can start to identify which foods are causing flare-ups and work toward a personalized plan.

Constant constipation in IBS can be caused by:

  • Low fiber intake
  • Dehydration: Not drinking enough water can make stool hard and difficult to pass.
  • Stress: Emotional stress often affects digestion and can contribute to constipation.

If constipation persists despite lifestyle changes, consider speaking with a healthcare provider for further assessment and potential treatment options.

Severe bloating can occur when:

  • Gas is trapped in the intestines due to difficulty digesting certain foods or fermentation.
  • Slow motility: In IBS, the digestive system may move food too slowly, leading to bloating.

To manage bloating, consider reducing high FODMAP foods and incorporating more digestive-friendly meals. Stress management techniques like yoga or mindfulness can also help reduce bloating by calming the nervous system.