If you’re suffering from irritable bowel syndrome, the problem might not be entirely in your stomach.

What’s locked inside your mind can be just as important as what’s going on in your belly — and a new study confirms the long-suspected link between hidden mental stress and this very physical disorder.

Researchers from the Mayo Clinic examined 2,623 patients and found that those who had suffered through serious psychological traumas were far more likely to suffer from IBS than patients without those issues.

Overall, the researchers found evidence of serious mental stress and psychological traumas in half of all IBS patients — or roughly double the rate of what they found in people without the stomach-wrecking condition.

Other studies have also made a link between past trauma and IBS — but most of them have focused on abuse.

For the new study, researchers found that any deep trauma at all can “trigger” the IBS symptoms — car accidents, divorce, death of a loved one, house fires and more — even if it happened years ago, and even if the patient thinks he or she has overcome it.

In other words, you might be fooling yourself… but you’re not fooling your body, and you’re certainly not getting one over on your gut.

That’s not to say the problems aren’t real — because as the 10 percent of Americans who battle the stomach pain, cramps, bloating and sudden runs to the bathroom that mark IBS will tell you, it’s all too real.

And that’s because stress, trauma and other issues often written off as “mental problems” can have a real and direct impact on the body itself — and not just for stomach disorders like IBS.

Pain conditions, including recurring back pain not tied to any specific injury, have strong links to stress and other problems of the mind. The mainstream even acknowledges it — in its own twisted sort of way: Antidepressants and other “psychological drugs” are often given for pain as well as IBS.

And they work about as well for those conditions as they do for depression — in other words, not very well at all… and they can come with horrific side effects to boot.

Fortunately, you don’t need to turn to these dangerous and ineffective meds for stomach relief (or even pain, but that’s a story for another day)… because you’ve got safer, better and far more natural options.

The researchers behind the new study seem to suggest psychological help, but there are some things you can do on your own, right now, for relief from IBS and other recurring stomach disorders.

I know plenty of people who won’t try yoga because, well, it’s yoga — and they think they’d feel ridiculous doing it.

But if you’re battling back pain, do yourself a favor: Open your mind before you open another jar of pills — because yoga can help beat your pain, and two new studies prove it.

One of those studies even finds that yoga can beat conventional care for back pain — but let’s face it here, that’s not saying much. “Conventional care” has been a complete failure that’s succeeded only in creating millions of painkiller addicts.

Clearly, it’s time to throw “conventional” out the window and try something a little UNconventional — like yoga, because the study on more than 300 back pain patients in Britain found that 12 weeks of the famous stretching classes led to real reductions in pain and increases in function over standard care.

Those who did yoga were able to walk more quickly, get dressed without needing help and even stand for longer periods of time — and if you’ve battled back pain, you know what a big deal that last one is.

All told, the study in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that yoga can help get you back on your feet and doing stuff again — and there’s nothing ridiculous about that.

Heck, you might not even have to do actual yoga to get the benefits: In another new study, both yoga classes and regular stretching classes easily beat a control group in which patients were given a 200-page book on pain management and told to read it.

You know how that is — 20 percent of them later admitted they never even cracked the spine on that thing.

Overall, 50 percent of the patients in the classes felt either much better or completely better — versus just 20 percent of those who got the book (and I can’t help but wonder if that was the same 20 percent that didn’t bother to read it).

In other words, the study in the Archives of Internal Medicine shows it doesn’t really matter what kind of stretching you pick — just pick one and stick to it.

It’s not ridiculous if it works.

The last thing anyone with a sore back wants to do is move it around.

I know — I’ve been there myself, and the natural reaction is to find a spot where you can sit as stiff as a board and move as little as possible.

The other natural reaction, of course, is a fistful of painkillers.

Don’t give in to either reaction: There isn’t a bad back on the planet that’s been cured by painkillers, and a new study confirms that sitting tight can actually make the pain worse — and even boost your risk of depression, too.

Researchers randomly assigned 109 back patients to either stay active through the pain or limit their activities as much as possible — and if you’re suffering from back pain you might want to get up for this one: Those who moved had quicker recoveries, less pain and less depression than those who limited their activity.

The researchers say a person who goes into statue mode when they feel back pain could be setting themselves up for the classic downward spiral: Since they’re not moving, they feel more pain. When they feel more pain, they get depressed — and since depressed people feel pain more, it can feel even worse than it really is.

Of course, anyone who’s battled back pain — and that’s nearly everyone at some point — knows there’s no one-size-fits-all formula for treatment, but too many doctors stubbornly insist on giving everyone the same advice.

Along with a big jar of painkillers.

Now, another new study confirms that docs have it all wrong — because patients given a more customized treatment plan get better results at a lower cost.

Researchers divided back pain patients into three categories based on their risk of long-term pain and disability, and assigned them to different levels of advice and/or therapy based on that risk.

A year later, these patients all had less pain and more improvements than a group that got the standard one-size-fits-all advice.

Sounds good — but make sure your customized treatment plan isn’t a choice between one bad mainstream option and another.

Despite what you’ve heard, you can beat the pain — even extreme pain — without meds or surgery. Acupuncture, massage therapy, chiropractic care and more have all shown to help put back pain on the back burner.

And in many cases, time alone can heal those invisible wounds.

For more on natural back pain options, visit the Web site of the Health Sciences Institute and enter “back pain” into the “Find a Cure” box.

And don’t forget to keep moving.

In the mood for a massage? Go ahead — treat yourself, especially if you’re suffering from back pain.

Not only will that massage help bring you the relief you’ve been looking for, but a new study finds that it’s actually more effective than pain meds.

And the only side effects are an hour of pure, blissful relaxation.

Researchers recruited 401 chronic back pain patients between the ages of 20 and 65 and divided them into three groups: relaxation massage (aka Swedish massage), structural massage, and “usual care.”

That last one, of course, refers to the drugs and physical therapy your own doctor probably recommends — but if you’ve
been down that road, you know where it leads.

Nowhere.

That’s why “usual care” may as well be called “useless care.”

After 10 weeks, a third of the patients in both massage groups said the pain had improved or vanished, versus just one in 25 of the “useless care” patients. Those who got the massages also spent less time in bed, engaged in more activity, and used fewer meds.

The massages ended at that 10-week mark, but the benefits didn’t: The researchers say the patients still enjoyed significant improvements at the 26-week mark — or nearly four months after their last massage, according to the study in The Annals of Internal Medicine.

At 52 weeks, there weren’t many benefits left… but I’d venture to guess that’s because the patients were 42 weeks removed from their last massage.

Get them back on the table, and I’m sure they’d perk right up.

Others studies have found that massage can improve function and movement and reduce pain in back patients — but that’s not all a set of strong hands can do for you.

The benefits aren’t even limited to your back.

One study last year found that massage caused a real and measurable boost in immune system function: Just 45 minutes led to a higher white blood cell count. More white blood cells means your body is better able to fight illness and disease.

That same study also found, as you might expect, that massage led to lower levels of stress hormones and higher levels of the “hugging hormone” oxytocin.

Less pain, less stress, feels great — do you need another excuse?

I don’t — I’m going to finish up here. I’ve got a massage to schedule.