Hypnosis and a Brief Look at Some Studies
Having reservations about hypnotherapy is quite common. Television, movies and stage hypnosis contribute much to the erroneous perception of mind control. Sadly, this casts doubt on clinical hypnosis and diminishes its value as a mental health complementary therapy. Many of us look to science to give us answers. Science quantifies in order to qualify. There is quite an extensive list of studies on hypnosis in a clinical setting. Here is a brief look at what some of the research reveals.
1) Children and Pain: The University of Queenland’s Child Health Research Centre (CHRC) studied the effects of hypnosis on pain, anxiety and stress in children suffering from severe burns. This was the first study of its kind as previous ones had only been conducted on adults. Across a sampling of 62 patients, ages 4 to 16, researchers used hypnosis while children underwent the painful process of having their bandages and dressings changed. They found that 70% of the children reported lower levels of pain and 67% reported lower levels of anxiety. By the third bandage change, the success rate increased to 90% reporting less pain and 84% lower anxiety.
2) Breast Cancer study: 200 patients who were scheduled for breast cancer surgery were selected from two Mount Sinai Medical Centre surgical practices. Compared to the control group who underwent the procedure without hypnosis, the group that received a brief hypnotic intervention prior to the surgery required less medication and reported less pain intensity, less nausea and discomfort and lower emotional upset. Lead researcher, G.H. Montgomery stated that, “Hypnosis helps patients to reduce their distress and have positive expectations about the outcomes of surgery. I don’t think there is any magic or mind control.”
3) IBS: Dr. Rainer Schaefert of the University of Heidelberg analysed 8 randomized trials which included 464 sufferers of IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). The inclusion of hypnosis over a 5 to 12-week period showed a greater reduction in symptoms and a lower global gastrointestinal score compared to the control group who did not undergo hypnotherapy support. The research concluded that hypnotherapy was safe and provided symptom relief in 54% of patients.
Another IBS study was undertaken by Professor Peter Whorwell of the University of Manchester. His research team reported that of 1,000 people with hard-to-treat IBS, 76% experienced a positive effect with hypnotherapy, with symptom severity reduced by half.
4) Heartburn: In a pilot study at Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, researchers studied the effects of hypnotherapy on nine patients who suffered from heartburn. All the participants reported an improvement in their symptoms, with 50% reporting that the improvement was “substantial”.
5) Anxiety: In a research review published in February 2010, Corydon Hammond, Professor Emeritus at the University of Utah School of Medicine, discusses a meta-analysis of 18 studies in which CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) alone was compared to a treatment that combined hypnotherapy together with CBT. This was conducted on participants across a variety of conditions such as pain, insomnia, anxiety, fears and phobias, obesity, hypertension and more. The results showed that the addition of hypnotherapy substantially enhanced the therapy outcome, with a demonstrated 70% greater result than the strictly CBT group.
Devin Terhune in an article published online (Medical Xpress, 21 April 2017) wrote, “Although the effects of hypnosis may seem unbelievable, it’s now well accepted that beliefs and expectations can drastically impact human perception…perhaps hypnosis isn’t so bizarre after all. Seemingly sensational responses to hypnosis may just be striking instances of the powers of suggestion and beliefs to shape our perception and behaviour. What we think will happen morphs seamlessly into what we ultimately experience.”
Hypnotherapy is by no means a solution for everyone. If the studies are anything to go by however, it should, at the very least, warrant consideration.
By Elaina Curran, HPD, DSFH, AdvDPLRT, Clinical Hypnotherapist and Past Life Regression Therapist
As published in BS35 Local Magazine, December 2018 issue
