The resources provided on this page contain a sampling of the recent research that has been conducted on the efficacy of hypnosis for a wide variety of issues. This information is provided for educational purposes only. Please note that a physician's is required before using hypnosis for any medical condition.

Mayo Clinic review of prior studies.  Hypnosis in Contemporary Medicine,

A review study of over a hundred clinical studies of hypnosis for medical procedures documents that hypnosis is beneficial for allergy, anesthesia for pain, anesthesia for surgery, warts, dermatitis, irritable bowel syndrome, peptic ulcers, abdominal surgery, healing from injury or surgery, hemophilia, hypertension, headaches, childbirth, asthma, smoking cessation, fibromyalgia, impotence, and urinary incontinence. “Many important trials reviewed here have helped to establish the role of hypnosis in contemporary medicine. These trials have established the utility and efficacy of hypnosis for several medical conditions, either alone or as part of the treatment regimen,” writes Stewart, JH, Department of Internal Medicine and Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Jacksonville, FL. Mayo Clinic Proceedings 2005;80:511-524 (PDF article)

See the bibliography of the above Mayo Clinic study for information on over 140 medical studies utilizing hypnosis. (pp.11-14 of PDF article)

Medical hypnosis summary. Medical Hypnosis: An Underutilized Treatment Approach.  

      Five case histories demonstrate the dramatic and sometimes unexpected beneficial outcomes of medical hypnosis. “Hypnosis is suitable for patients with the following medical conditions: chronic headache, chronic back pain, psychogenic weakness or paralysis, chronic constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, panic attacks and phobias,” writes Alman, B. (Kaiser) Permanente Journal, Fall 2001/Vol. 5, No. 4. (PJ online article)

 Hypnosis beneficial for breast surgeries. A Randomized Clinical Trial of a  Brief Hypnosis Intervention to Control Side Effects in Breast Surgery Patients,

In a randomized study of 200 women undergoing surgery for breast cancer, those who received a brief hypnosis session before entering the operating room required less anesthesia and pain medication during surgery, and reported less pain, nausea, fatigue, and discomfort after surgery than women who did not receive hypnosis. The overall cost of surgery was also significantly less for women undergoing hypnosis. Montgomery GH, Bovbjerg DH, Schnur JB, David D, Goldfarb A, Weltz CR, Schechter C, Graff-Zivin J, Tatrow K, Price DD, Silverstein JH. Department of Oncological Sciences, Mount Sinai School of Medicine , NY . Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 2007 Sep ;99(17):1304-12. (NCI online article)

Mind/body suggestions control blood flow during surgery. Preoperative Instruction for Decreased Bleeding During Spine Surgery. 

In a trial with 93 spinal surgery patients at the University of California (Davis) Medical Center, those who received specific instructions about blood flow lost an average 500 cubic centimeters of blood, compared to 900 cubic centimeters lost on average by both the controls and a third group taught relaxation techniques. Bennett, HL et al., (originally Anesthesiology v.65, No. 3A, Sept. 1986), recently: Center for the Advancement of Perioperative Health, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT Anesth Analg 2006;102:1394-1396  (article)

Preoperative guided imagery improves cardiac surgery outcomes. Effect of guided imagery on length of stay, pain and anxiety in cardiac surgery patients. 

"Cardiac surgery patients who listened to a preop guided imagery surgical tape had significantly less pain, anxiety and two days shorter hospital stay." Tusek, D. L., Cwynar, R., and Cosgrove, D.M., Cleveland Clinic, Ohio, Journal of Cardiovascular Management 10; 2:22 -8 1999 (NIH online abstract)

 

Hypnosis and IBS. The Treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Hypnotherapy.

“Previous research from the United Kingdom has shown hypnotherapy to be effective in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The current study provides a systematic replication of this work in the United States .” Galovski TE,Blanchard EB,, University of Albany, State University of New York, New York, Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback. 1998 Dec;23(4):219-32  (NIH online abstract)

 Hypnosis and fibromyalgia. Controlled Trial of Hypnotherapy in the Treatment of Refractory Fibromyalgia. 

“In a controlled study, 40 patients with refractory fibromyalgia were randomly allocated to treatment with either hypnotherapy or physical therapy for 12 weeks with follow up at 24 weeks. Compared with the patients in the physical therapy group, the patients in the hypnotherapy group showed a significantly better outcome.” HAANEN H. C. M.; HOENDERDOS H. T. W.; VAN ROMUNDE L. K. J.; HOP W. C. J.; MALLEE C. ; TERWIEL J. P.; HEKSTER G. B. Sint Antonius Ziekenhuis, dept. rheumatology, Nieuwegein 3430 EM, Netherlands. Journal of Rheumatology 1991, vol. 18, n^o1, pp. 72-75 (NIH online abstract)

 

Hypnosis as general anesthesia. Hypnosis with Conscious Sedation Instead of General Anesthesia? Applications in Cervical Endocrine Surgery. 

197 thyroidectomies and 21 cervical explorations for hyperparathyroidism were performed under hypno-sedation and compared to a closely matched population of patients operated on under general anesthesia.  All patients having hypno-sedation reported a very pleasant experience, had significantly less postoperative pain, significantly reduced analgesic use, significantly shorter hospital stay, providing a substantial reduction of the medical care costs. Their postoperative convalescence was significantly improved, and full return to social or professional activity was significantly shortened. Meurisse M, Defechereux T, Hamoir E, Maweja S, Marchettini P, Gollogly L, Degauque C, Joris J, Faymonville ME. Dept. Surgery, University of Liege, Belgium, Acta Chir Belg. 1999 Aug;99(4):151-8. (NIH online abstract)

 

Hypnosis and dermatology. Hypnosis in Dermatology. 

A comprehensive review of dermatology studies spanning 32 years that involved hypnosis concluded: “A wide spectrum of dermatologic disorders may be improved or cured using hypnosis as an alternative or complementary therapy, including acne excoriee, alopecia areata, atopic dermatitis, congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma, dyshidrotic dermatitis, erythromelalgia, furuncles, glossodynia, herpes simplex, hyperhidrosis, ichthyosis vulgaris, lichen planus, neurodermatitis, nummular dermatitis, postherpetic neuralgia, pruritus, psoriasis, rosacea, trichotillomania, urticaria, verruca vulgaris, and vitiligo.” Shenefelt PD, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Arch Dermatol. 2000 Mar;136(3):393-9 (NIH online abstract)

 

Preoperative suggestions improve abdominal surgery outcomes.  Effect Of Preoperative Suggestion On Postoperative Gastrointestinal Motility.

Single-blind trial of abdominal surgery patients, to whom a 5 minute script was read preoperatively suggesting increased gastrointestinal motility after surgery. Suggestion group had significantly shorter ileus time and was discharged two days earlier, with an estimated savings of $1200. Disbrow, E. A., Bennett, H. L., and Owings, J. T. Department of Anesthesiology, University of California , Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento ,1993 West J Med 158;5:488-92 (NIH online abstract)

 

Additional links:

Hypnosis shown to reduce the symptoms of dementia.

Hypnosis helps the body heal itself faster and with less pain.

    

Hand Surgery with only Self-Hypnosis as anesthesia.