Hypnotherapy for the Treatment of Persistent Pain: A Literature Review

BACKGROUND: Persistent pain causes a significant decrease in quality of life and increases overall disability more than any other condition. Hypnotherapy is emerging as a treatment option for pain management; examination of this treatment modality and its effectiveness is needed. AIM(S): To examine evidence for effectiveness of hypnotherapy to treat persistent pain in adults. METHOD: A consolidated review was completed through searching biomedical and life sciences literature databases. RESULTS: Results were obtained through appraisal of six identified studies meeting inclusion criteria. Hypnotherapy decreases pain and improves pain-related function and quality of life outcomes to a greater extent than other psychological interventions or usual treatments. Furthermore, it has been shown to be effective in a variety of chronic pain conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Current treatment practices fail to alleviate pain adequately; there is sufficient evidence to suggest hypnotherapy as a viable treatment modality for persistent pain. However, more definitive studies are needed for it to be a first-line intervention.