{"id":486,"date":"2016-11-05T17:43:47","date_gmt":"2016-11-05T17:43:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/integrativemedicine.org\/go\/?p=486"},"modified":"2024-06-28T17:44:27","modified_gmt":"2024-06-28T17:44:27","slug":"hypnotherapy-can-ease-some-symptoms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/integrativemedicine.org\/go\/hypnotherapy-can-ease-some-symptoms\/","title":{"rendered":"Hypnotherapy can ease some symptoms"},"content":{"rendered":"

Washington Post
\n05-11-2016
\nSource hyperlink<\/a><\/p>\n

Hypnotherapy can ease some symptoms<\/strong><\/p>\n

When you think about hypnotherapy, it\u2019s probably in the context of a swinging pocket watch and a voice intoning, \u201cYou are getting very sleepy.\u201d But neither watches nor sleep are part of hypnotherapy or clinical hypnosis, which is the therapeutic use of hypnosis. Here\u2019s what research suggests \u2014 and what you probably don\u2019t know \u2014 about this complementary therapy.<\/p>\n

You are aware and in control
\nDuring hypnotherapy, the practitioner will use words to help you relax deeply, then offer suggestions \u2014 through stories or mental images \u2014 for coping with your health concerns. Hypnosis does not, as some may fear, put you under the hypnotist\u2019s control or make you unaware of what\u2019s happening around you. In fact, you\u2019re hyperfocused, like being engrossed in a great book or movie.<\/p>\n

\u201cOther things fade into the background, so you can more easily respond to therapeutic suggestions,\u201d says Gary Elkins, director of the Mind-Body Medicine Research Laboratory at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. Afterward, you don\u2019t suddenly \u201ccome to,\u201d wondering where you\u2019ve been and what you did. Most people recall sessions clearly.<\/p>\n

People have varied reactions
\nAlmost anyone can be hypnotized to some extent, but some people are more receptive than others. \u201cThere\u2019s a range,\u201d Elkins says. \u201cMost of us are in the middle, about 10 percent are very high and about 10 percent are very low.\u201d<\/p>\n

Most studies find that four or five sessions are enough to make a big impact, though people who are in the lower range might need more to get the desired effect, Elkins says. People can often also practice on their own at home if necessary.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s no magic bullet, but .\u2009.\u2009.
\nHypnosis seems to be more effective at easing involuntary symptoms, such as hot flashes and pain, than it is at helping people overcome unhealthy habits such as overeating, smoking and drinking. Here\u2019s where the research is strongest:<\/p>\n

Irritable bowel syndrome. British researchers first studied the use of hypnotherapy for people with IBS \u2014 a disorder characterized by diarrhea, constipation and cramps \u2014 in 1984. Those who had treatment reported substantial benefits, while those given a placebo and undergoing psychotherapy didn’t. A recent review confirms those benefits, finding substantial relief reported in all 35 studies analyzed.<\/p>\n

Chronic pain. A study of 100 veterans with lower-back pain found that people who underwent hypnosis reported less pain and better sleep than those treated with biofeedback, which can include deep breathing and muscle relaxation. Other research suggests that hypnosis may help ease pain from arthritis, fibromyalgia and other conditions.<\/p>\n

Cancer-treatment side effects. Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York investigated whether hypnotherapy helps cancer patients with the pain, nausea and anxiety that often accompany breast cancer surgery. In the study, women undergoing a breast biopsy or lumpectomy who received hypnosis needed less anesthesia and reported less pain, nausea and fatigue than women who did not.<\/p>\n

Hot flashes. Elkins trained 187 menopausal women in hypnotherapy. After four weeks, sensations of heat and sweating had dropped by about 70 percent. After three months of hypnotherapy at home with audiotapes, the decrease averaged 80 percent. And many women slept better.<\/p>\n

So should you consider it? In some cases, yes, says Marvin M. Lipman, chief medical adviser for Consumer Reports. \u201cIn selected patients with certain complaints, hypnotherapy can be a boon and, what\u2019s more, virtually without side effects,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Washington Post 05-11-2016 Source hyperlink Hypnotherapy can ease some symptoms When you think about hypnotherapy, it\u2019s probably in the context of a swinging pocket watch and a voice intoning, \u201cYou are getting very sleepy.\u201d But neither watches nor sleep are … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-486","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-hypno"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/integrativemedicine.org\/go\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/486","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/integrativemedicine.org\/go\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/integrativemedicine.org\/go\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/integrativemedicine.org\/go\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/integrativemedicine.org\/go\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=486"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/integrativemedicine.org\/go\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/486\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":487,"href":"https:\/\/integrativemedicine.org\/go\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/486\/revisions\/487"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/integrativemedicine.org\/go\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=486"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/integrativemedicine.org\/go\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=486"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/integrativemedicine.org\/go\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=486"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}