Which asthmatic patients should be treated by hypnotherapy?

Area of Science:

• Psychosomatic Medicine
• Respiratory Medicine

Background:

• Bronchial asthma is a chronic respiratory condition.
• Some patients experience limited relief with conventional treatments.
• Hypnotherapy is an alternative or complementary approach explored for asthma management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of hypnotherapy in treating bronchial asthma.
• To identify factors influencing treatment outcomes in asthmatic patients undergoing hypnotherapy.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 121 bronchial asthma patients treated with hypnotherapy.
• Detailed description of hypnotic techniques and treatment procedures.
• Statistical evaluation of variables including age, sex, trance depth, psychological factors, and asthma severity.

Main Results:

• 21% of patients achieved complete remission from asthma.
• 33% experienced a good response with reduced asthma attack frequency/severity or drug needs.
• 46% showed a poor response, yet half reported improved general well-being.
• Deep trance ability, youth, psychological factors, and less severe asthma predicted better outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Hypnotherapy can be an effective treatment for a significant portion of bronchial asthma patients.
• The depth of trance achieved during hypnotherapy is a key predictor of treatment success.
• Subjective well-being can improve irrespective of asthma severity or trance depth.