Hypnosis for Chronic Pain Management

Abstract

Recent psychophysiological data supports the concept that hypnotic interventions for pain management are beneficial. The aim of this study was to evaluate pain relief induced through hypnosis in two chronic pain conditions: fibromyalgia (FM) and chronic migraine (CM). Participants were treated during 5 weekly hypnosis sessions, each lasting 60 minutes. A battery of self-reported questionnaires assessing quality of life, pain intensity, and depression levels were administered at the beginning and at the end of treatment. We observed important group differences in outcomes, in particular for CM patients.