“Mind Over Pain: The Case for Hypnosis
Recently, watched a webcast from the Royal Society of Medicine, doctors shared their experiences using hypnosis with patients in stroke recovery. It confirmed to me how useful mental practice is. When paired with active motor training according to the doctors on the webcast, it seems to really help people with mild to moderate arm weakness regain function.
Techniques like visualisation—often used in sports hypnosis—don’t just motivate patients, they may actually improve outcomes.
What’s fascinating is that hypnosis seems to trigger brainwave patterns similar to those seen in deep meditation. For instance, Mark Jensen’s research at the University of Washington showed that boosting theta brainwaves during hypnosis led to better pain relief for people with multiple sclerosis. It seems the brain becomes more adaptable and open to learning during these sessions.
Despite these promising results, I’ve noticed some medical clinicians are still hesitant about hypnosis, often over their own lack of understanding or because of concerns over how patients perceive it. Studies suggest that simply calling the procedure “hypnosis” rather than “relaxation” or “suggestion” makes it more effective. Patient motivation and belief in hypnosis matter too—almost like a placebo effect.
Looking at chronic low back pain (CLBP), which is a huge burden for many, there’s evidence supporting hypnosis as a treatment.
A study was carried out involving 100 veterans with CLBP, it split participants into four groups: some had eight sessions of self-hypnosis (with or without audio recordings for home practice), others had just two sessions with recordings and weekly reminder calls, and one group had eight sessions of biofeedback as a control.
All groups saw improvements in pain, interference, and sleep quality, but those who received hypnosis reported greater reductions in pain intensity. Interestingly, there wasn’t much difference between the various hypnosis approaches, and more than half of those who tried hypnosis had at least a 30% drop in pain intensity, maintaining these benefits for six months. Neither hypnotisability nor the amount of home practice seemed to affect the outcome.
In short, just two sessions of self-hypnosis training with audio recordings for home practice might be as effective as eight sessions. If these findings hold up in other patient groups, it could have major implications for how we use hypnosis to manage chronic pain.
Bringing hypnosis into mainstream medicine could be a game-changer, especially for chronic pain management. Unlike opioids, hypnosis isn’t addictive and carries very little risk. It won’t work for everyone, but if patients visit a hypnotherapist offering the option of treatment and learn self-hypnosis, it’s a safe and accessible option for those willing to give it a go.
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