RAPID INDUCTION ANALGESIA FOR CAPSAICIN-INDUCED PAIN IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS: A Randomized, Controlled Trial

Abstract

The effect of rapid-induction analgesia (RIA) hypnosis on capsaicin-induced pain was tested in 60 healthy volunteers allocated randomly to 1 of 3 conditions: listening to an RIA recording several times before and then during the session, only the in-session RIA intervention, or listening to relaxing music (the control condition). Participants who had listened to the RIA recording beforehand were significantly more relaxed than controls when differences between the groups were identified for pain intensity. These findings suggest that relaxation induced by RIA recordings can alleviate the affective component of pain. In addition, benefits of RIA may strengthen with practice.