These chapters deal with visceral and somatic pain- similarities and differences, molecular mechanisms of visceral hypersensitivity, role of emotion in pain, pharmacotherapy of pain, overlap between IBS and IBD, experimental models of stress and pain, placebo response in IBS, stress and IBD, acquisition, evolution and maintenance of normal gut microbiota, role of pathogenic microbes and commensal bacteria in IBS, bacterial flora in IBD, probiotics in IBD, aminosalicylates and other anti-inflammatory compounds for IBS, eosinophilic esophagitis, mast cell and mastocytosis and collagenous and
lymphocytic colitis. All the chapters are written by experts in the field most of whom are astute clinicians as well as innovators and original researchers.