The Independent
06-04-2000
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Hypnosis ‘can help asthma sufferers’
Summary: Hypnotherapy could help asthma sufferers to halve their use of reliever inhalers, according to new research.
A study of 39 asthma patients found that those who were given hypnotherapy showed a dramatic improvement in symptoms compared with those who were not.
The research, carried out at University College London, found that after a year, patients who had undergone hypnosis sessions had cut their use of reliever inhalers by half and their use of preventer inhalers by a third.
They also reported feeling more in control of their illness and less anxious about their condition.
The findings are published in the journal Respiratory Medicine.
Dr John Weinman, who led the research, said: “This study shows that hypnosis could be a powerful complementary therapy for people with asthma, reducing their symptoms and improving their quality of life.
“Asthma is a condition that can be made worse by stress and anxiety. Hypnosis can help to reduce stress levels and give patients a greater sense of control over their illness.”
The patients in the study were divided into two groups. One group had four sessions of hypnotherapy over a month, while the other group had no hypnosis.
Both groups continued with their usual medication throughout the study.
After a year, the group who had undergone hypnosis reported using their blue reliever inhalers an average of 3.3 times a day, compared with 6.2 times a day for the control group.
Use of brown preventer inhalers had also fallen from 3.1 times a day to 2.1 times a day in the hypnosis group, while there was no change in the control group.
Dr Weinman said the results were encouraging, but larger studies were needed to confirm the findings.
He added: “Hypnosis is not a cure for asthma, but it could be a useful addition to conventional treatments.”
The National Asthma Campaign welcomed the research but said more studies were needed.
A spokeswoman said: “This is an interesting study which suggests that hypnotherapy may have a role to play in helping some people with asthma.
“However, it is important to remember that this was a small study and more research is needed before we can draw any firm conclusions.”