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Hypnosis and asthma: a critical review
R M Hackman1, J S Stern, M E Gershwin
1University of California, Davis 95616, USA.
Summary
Clinical hypnosis shows promise for improving asthma symptoms, particularly in children. While more research is needed, existing studies suggest hypnosis can be an effective complementary therapy for asthma management.
Area of Science:
- Integrative medicine
- Psychosomatic medicine
- Respiratory medicine
Background:
- Asthma is a prevalent chronic respiratory disease impacting quality of life.
- Current asthma management primarily relies on pharmaceutical interventions.
- Non-pharmaceutical therapies, including hypnosis, are gaining interest for asthma treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the current evidence for clinical hypnosis as a treatment for asthma.
- To assess the effectiveness and potential of hypnosis in managing asthma symptoms.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing studies on hypnosis for asthma.
- Analysis of factors influencing hypnosis efficacy in asthma patients.
Main Results:
- Studies consistently show a positive effect of hypnosis on asthma symptoms.
- Hypnosis efficacy appears enhanced with susceptible individuals, experienced practitioners, multiple sessions, and autohypnosis reinforcement.
- Children demonstrate a notable positive response to hypnosis for asthma symptom improvement.
Conclusions:
- Clinical hypnosis presents a potentially effective non-pharmaceutical approach for asthma.
- Further large-scale, randomized controlled trials are necessary to confirm hypnosis efficacy.
- Hypnosis may be a valuable adjunctive therapy, especially for pediatric asthma management.
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