From Pharmaceutical to Biophysical Therapies: New Horizons in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Management

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), whose major forms include Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis, presents significant therapeutic challenge due to its chronic relapsing‐remitting nature. Although pharmacological advances have improved IBD management, many patients either do not respond adequately to available therapies or lose response over time, and thus continue to face unmet clinical needs. This has prompted the exploration of non‐pharmacological strategies aimed at enhancing or complementing therapeutic outcomes. This review offers a comprehensive overview of this evolving paradigm, covering emerging biophysical approaches, including hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), vagus nerve electrical stimulation (VNS), electromagnetic fields (EMF), low‐intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS), and photobiomodulation (PBM). The analyzed data suggest that while HBOT is most suitable for refractory disease with associated complications, the favorable safety profiles, potential for targeted application, and potent bioeffects of VNS, EMF, LIPUS, and PBM make them particularly promising for future long‐term and combinatory IBD management. The development of standardized protocols and patient stratification biomarkers is identified as a critical next step to facilitate the clinical translation of these emerging technologies.