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Hypnotherapy for children with functional abdominal pain or irritable bowel syndrome: a randomized controlled trial

Arine M Vlieger1, Carla Menko-Frankenhuis, Simone C S Wolfkamp

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, St. Antonius Hospital, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands. a.vlieger@antonius.net

Gastroenterology
|October 9, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Gut-directed hypnotherapy (HT) significantly reduced pain in children with functional abdominal pain (FAP) or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). HT was more effective than standard medical therapy (SMT), achieving successful treatment in 85% of cases.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Gastroenterology
  • Psychosomatic Medicine
  • Clinical Therapeutics

Background:

  • Functional abdominal pain (FAP) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are common in children and can cause long-lasting symptoms.
  • Gut-directed hypnotherapy (HT) is effective for adult IBS patients.
  • The study aimed to compare HT with standard medical therapy (SMT) in children with FAP or IBS.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of gut-directed hypnotherapy (HT) compared to standard medical therapy (SMT).
  • To assess the impact of HT on pain intensity, frequency, and associated symptoms in pediatric patients with FAP or IBS.

Main Methods:

  • A randomized controlled trial involving 53 pediatric patients (ages 8-18) diagnosed with FAP or IBS.
  • Patients were randomized to receive either 6 sessions of HT over 3 months or SMT with supportive therapy.
  • Pain and symptom scores were recorded weekly via standardized diaries at baseline, during therapy, and at 6 and 12 months post-therapy.

Main Results:

  • Both HT and SMT groups showed significant decreases in pain intensity and frequency from baseline to 1-year follow-up.
  • Hypnotherapy demonstrated significantly superior outcomes compared to SMT, with a greater reduction in pain scores (P < .001).
  • At 1-year follow-up, 85% of patients in the HT group achieved successful treatment, versus 25% in the SMT group (P < .001).

Conclusions:

  • Gut-directed hypnotherapy is a highly effective treatment for children experiencing longstanding functional abdominal pain or irritable bowel syndrome.
  • HT offers a superior therapeutic option for pediatric FAP and IBS compared to standard medical care.
  • The findings support the integration of HT into clinical practice for managing chronic abdominal pain in children.
Abstract

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