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Hypnotherapy as a medical treatment: Evidence-based or pseudoscience?
Miranda A L van Tilburg1, Elizabeth L Monis2, Ryan E Braumann2
1Cape Fear Valley Health, Fayetteville NC, USA; Campbell University, Lillington, NC, USA; Marshall University, Huntington, WV, USA; University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice
|February 22, 2024
Summary
Hypnotherapy is a controversial practice, but evidence-based applications are effective for physical and mental health. Distinguishing scientific uses from pseudoscience is key to its legitimate medical application.
Area of Science:
- Medical Hypnotherapy
- Evidence-Based Practices
- Psychosomatic Medicine
Background:
- Hypnotherapy faces controversy due to myths and misuses, questioning its medical legitimacy.
- Historical perceptions have been shaped by pseudoscientific theories, impacting its acceptance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To differentiate between pseudoscientific claims and evidence-based applications of hypnotherapy.
- To clarify the role of modern hypnotherapy in medical and psychological treatments.
Main Methods:
- Review of historical and modern theories of hypnosis.
- Analysis of scientific literature on hypnotherapy's efficacy.
- Distinction between pseudoscientific and evidence-based approaches.
Main Results:
- Pseudoscientific hypnotherapy, based on outdated theories, has undermined its credibility.
- Modern hypnotherapy utilizes cognitive, emotional, and social processes, supported by evidence.
- Hypnotherapy is recommended for irritable bowel syndrome, with growing evidence for other conditions.
Conclusions:
- Pseudoscientific hypnotherapy can be unethical and cause patient distress.
- Evidence-based hypnotherapy is a potent tool for managing physical and psychological symptoms associated with medical conditions.
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