Use of hypnosis in the treatment of pain

Abstract

Hypnosis is an altered state of consciousness that comprises of heightened absorption in focal attention,dissociation of peripheral awareness, and enhanced responsiveness to social cues. Hypnosis has a long traditionof effectiveness in controlling somatic symptoms, such as pain. Pain, the most common symptom in clinicalpractice, is a multi-dimensional experience, which includes sensory-discriminative, affective-emotional, cognitiveand behavioral components. There is a growing recognition for hypnosis and related techniques in painmanagement. Psychological approaches to pain control, such as hypnosis, can be highly effective analgesics,but are underused in Korea. In this article, we would like to review the basic concepts of hypnosis, themechanism, and the outcome data of the analgesic effects of hypnosis, and also, its limitations. © The Korean Pain Society, 2012.