Pain Abstract (Multiple Journals) - Oct 22, 2003
Meurisse, M., T. Defechereux, et al. (1999)

"HYPNOSIS with conscious sedation instead of general anaesthesia? Applications in cervical endocrine surgery." Acta Chir Belg 99(4): 151-8.

Between April 1994 and June 1997, 197 thyroidectomies and 21 cervical explorations for hyperparathyroidism were performed under hypnosedation (HYP) and compared to the operative data and postoperative courses of a closely-matched population (n = 121) of patients operated on under general anaesthesia (GA). Conversion from HYPNOSIS to GA was needed in two cases (1%). All surgeons reported better operating conditions for cervicotomy using HYP. All patients having HYP reported a very pleasant experience and had significantly less postoperative pain while analgesic use was significantly reduced in this group. Hospital stay was also significantly shorter, providing a substantial reduction of the medical care costs. The postoperative convalescence was significantly improved after HYP and full return to social or professional activity was significantly shortened. We conclude that HYP is a very efficient technique providing physiological, psychological and economic benefits to the patient.

Wright, B. R. and P. D. Drummond (2000). "Rapid induction analgesia for the alleviation of procedural pain during burn care." Burns 26(3): 275-82.

Burn patients must often endure intense pain during their regular dressing changes. The aim of the present study was to investigate the therapeutic effect of rapid induction analgesia (RIA) on resting and procedural pain, anticipatory anxiety, relaxation levels and medication consumption in 30 hospitalized burn patients. Patients rated levels of pain and relaxation for four burn care sessions. RIA was conducted twice on 15 patients, whereas dressing changes proceeded as usual in 15 control patients. When asked to recall pain during the dressing changes, patients remembered an experience which was worse in its entirety than the average of spot ratings taken during the burn care procedure. However, self-reported ratings of the sensory and affective components of pain decreased significantly during and after RIA, particularly in patients who became readily absorbed, and relaxation increased during burn care. Anticipatory anxiety decreased before dressing changes in the RIA group, and analgesic intake decreased between treatment sessions. The promising outcome of this study confirms RIA as a viable adjunct to narcotic treatment for pain control during burn care.

Ohrbach (1998). "HYPNOSIS afHter an adverse response to opioids in an ICU burn patient." Clin J Pain 14(2): 167-75.

OBJECTIVE: Burn injuries produce severe wound care pain that is ideally controlled on intensive burn care units with high-dosage intravenous opioid medications. We report a case illustrating the use of HYPNOSIS for pain management when one opioid medication was ineffective. SETTING: Intensive burn care unit at a regional trauma center. PATIENT: A 55-year-old man with an extensive burn suffered from significant respiratory depression from a low dosage of opioid during wound care and also experienced uncontrolled pain. INTERVENTION: Rapid induction hypnotic analgesia. OUTCOME MEASURES: Verbal numeric pain scale, and pain and anxiolytic medication usage. RESULTS: The introduction of HYPNOSIS, supplemented by little or no opioids, resulted in excellent pain control, absence of need for supplemental anxiolytic medication, shortened length of wound care, and a positive staff response over a 14-day period. CONCLUSIONS: This case illustrates that HYPNOSIS can not only be used easily and quite appropriately in a busy medical intensive care unit environment, but that sometimes this treatment may be a very useful alternative when opioid pain medication proves to be dangerous and ineffective. This case also illustrates possible clinical implications both pain relief and side-effect profiles for opioid receptor specificity. Although this report does not provide data regarding hypnotic mechanisms, it is clear that with some patients nonopioid inhibitory mechanisms can be activated in a highly effective manner, that clinical context may be important for the activation of those pathways, and that those mechanisms may be accessed more easily than opioid mechanisms.

Ginandes, C. S. and D. I. Rosenthal (1999). "Using HYPNOSIS to accelerate the healing of bone fractures: a randomized controlled pilot study." Altern Ther Health Med 5(2): 67-75.

CONTEXT: HYPNOSIS has been used in numerous medical applications for functional and psychological improvement, but has been inadequately tested for anatomical healing. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a hypnotic intervention accelerates bodily tissue healing using bone fracture healing as a site-specific test. DESIGN: Randomized controlled pilot study. SETTING: Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Mass, and McLean Hospital, Belmont, Mass. PATIENTS: Twelve healthy adult subjects with the study fracture were recruited from an orthopedic emergency department and randomized to either a treatment (n = 6) or a control group (n = 6). One subject, randomized to the treatment group, withdrew prior to the intervention. INTERVENTION: All 11 subjects received standard orthopedic care including serial radiographs and clinical assessments through 12 weeks following injury. The treatment group received a hypnotic intervention (individual sessions, audiotapes) designed to augment fracture healing. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Radiological and orthopedic assessments of fracture healing 12 weeks following injury and hypnotic subjects' final questionnaires and test scores on the Hypnotic Induction Scale. RESULTS: Results showed trends toward faster healing for the HYPNOSIS group through week 9 following injury. Objective radiographic outcome data revealed a notable difference in fracture edge healing at 6 weeks. Orthopedic assessments showing trends toward better healing for HYPNOSIS subjects through week 9 included improved ankle mobility; greater functional ability to descend stairs; lower use of analgesics in weeks 1, 3, and 9; and trends toward lower self-reported pain through 6 weeks. CONCLUSION: Despite a small sample size and limited statistical power, these data suggest that HYPNOSIS may be capable of enhancing both anatomical and functional fracture healing, and that further investigation of HYPNOSIS to accelerate healing is warranted.

Faymonville, M. E., S. Laureys, et al. (2000). "Neural mechanisms of antinociceptive effects of HYPNOSIS." Anesthesiology 92(5): 1257-67.

BACKGROUND: The neural mechanisms underlying the modulation of pain perception by HYPNOSIS remain obscure. In this study, we used positron emission tomography in 11 healthy volunteers to identify the brain areas in which HYPNOSIS modulates cerebral responses to a noxious stimulus. METHODS: The protocol used a factorial design with two factors: state (hypnotic state, resting state, mental imagery) and stimulation (warm non-noxious vs. hot noxious stimuli applied to right thenar eminence). Two cerebral blood flow scans were obtained with the 15O-water technique during each condition. After each scan, the subject was asked to rate pain sensation and unpleasantness. Statistical parametric mapping was used to determine the main effects of noxious stimulation and hypnotic state as well as state-by-stimulation interactions (i.e., brain areas that would be more or less activated in HYPNOSIS than in control conditions, under noxious stimulation). RESULTS: HYPNOSIS decreased both pain sensation and the unpleasantness of noxious stimuli. Noxious stimulation caused an increase in regional cerebral blood flow in the thalamic nuclei and anterior cingulate and insular cortices. The hypnotic state induced a significant activation of a right-sided extrastriate area and the anterior cingulate cortex. The interaction analysis showed that the activity in the anterior (mid-)cingulate cortex was related to pain perception and unpleasantness differently in the hypnotic state than in control situations. CONCLUSIONS: Both intensity and unpleasantness of the noxious stimuli are reduced during the hypnotic state. In addition, hypnotic modulation of pain is mediated by the anterior cingulate cortex.

Anbar, R. D. (2000). "Self-HYPNOSIS for patients with cystic fibrosis." Pediatr Pulmonol 30(6): 461-5.

This report documents the utility of self-HYPNOSIS in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Sixty-three patients 7 years of age or older were offered the opportunity to be taught self-HYPNOSIS by their pulmonologist. Forty-nine agreed to learn it. Patients generally were taught HYPNOSIS in one or two sessions. The outcome was determined by patients' answers to open-ended questions regarding their subjective evaluation of the efficacy of HYPNOSIS. The average age of the 49 patients who were taught and used self-HYPNOSIS was 18.1 years (range, 7-49 years). Many of the patients used HYPNOSIS for more than one purpose, including relaxation (61% of patients), relief of pain associated with medical procedures (31%), headache relief (16%), changing the taste of medications to make the flavor more palatable (10%), and control of other symptoms associated with CF (18%). The patients successfully utilized self-HYPNOSIS 86% of the time. No symptoms worsened following . Sixteen patients chose to practice HYPNOSIS on their own for a half year or longer. In conclusion, with the use of self-HYPNOSIS, patients with CF can quickly learn to enhance their control over discomforts associated with therapy and their disease. Consideration should be given to making instruction in self-HYPNOSIS available to patients with CF.

Nickelson, C., J. O. Brende, et al. (1999). "What if your patient prefers an alternative pain control method? Self-HYPNOSIS in the control of pain." South Med J 92(5): 521-3.

Despite the availability of specialized treatments for chronic pain, including biofeedback training, relaxation training, and hypnotic treatment, most physicians rely on the traditional approaches of surgery or pharmacotherapy. The patient in this case study had severe and chronic pain but found little relief from pain medications that also caused side effects. She then took the initiative to learn and practice self-HYPNOSIS with good results. Her physician in the resident's internal medicine clinic supported her endeavor and encouraged her to continue self-HYPNOSIS. This patient's success shows that self-HYPNOSIS can be a safe and beneficial approach to control or diminish the pain from chronic pain syndrome and can become a useful part of a physician's therapeutic armamentarium.

Wright, B. R. and P. D. Drummond (2001). "The effect of Rapid Induction Analgesia on subjective pain ratings and pain tolerance." Int J Clin Exp Hypn 49(2): 109-22.

The effect of Rapid Induction Analgesia (RIA) on pain tolerance and ratings of mechanically induced pain in the pain-sensitized forearm was investigated in 58 undergraduates. Posthypnotic suggestions of relaxation and analgesia did not influence pain ratings or tolerance, but relaxation ratings increased after RIA. When suggestions for analgesia were made throughout pain testing, ratings of pain unpleasantness at the pain tolerance point decreased more in the RIA group than in the attention control group. However, RIA did not influence pain threshold or tolerance. It was concluded that RIA was more effective in reducing subjective reports of pain (particularly the affective component) than in altering pain tolerance, and that maintenance of hypnotic suggestions was more effective than posthypnotic suggestions of comfort and relaxation in alleviating the affective component of pain.

Rosen, G., F. Willoch, et al. (2001). "Neurophysiological processes underlying the phantom limb pain experience and the use of HYPNOSIS in its clinical management: an intensive examination of two patients." Int J Clin Exp Hypn 49(1): 38-55.

In a pilot study with 2 patients suffering from phantom limb pain (PLP), hypnotic suggestions were used to modify and control the experience of the phantom limb, and positron emission tomography (PET) was used to index underlying pathways and areas involved in the processing of phantom limb experience (PLE) and PLP. The patients' subjective experiences of pain were recorded in a semistructured protocol. PET results demonstrated activation in areas known to be responsible for sensory and motor processing. The reported subjective experiences of PLP and movement corresponded with predicted brain activity patterns. This work helps to clarify the central nervous system correlates of phantom limb sensations, including pain. It further suggests that HYPNOSIS can be incorporated into treatment protocols for PLP.

Hofbauer, R. K., P. Rainville, et al. (2001). "Cortical representation of the sensory dimension of pain." J Neurophysiol 86(1): 402-11.

It is well accepted that pain is a multidimensional experience, but little is known of how the brain represents these dimensions. We used positron emission tomography (PET) to indirectly measure pain-evoked cerebral activity before and after hypnotic suggestions were given to modulate the perceived intensity of a painful stimulus. These techniques were similar to those of a previous study in which we gave suggestions to modulate the perceived unpleasantness of a noxious stimulus. Ten volunteers were scanned while tonic warm and noxious heat stimuli were presented to the hand during four experimental conditions: alert control, HYPNOSIS control, hypnotic suggestions for increased-pain intensity and hypnotic suggestions for decreased-pain intensity. As shown in previous brain imaging studies, noxious thermal stimuli presented during the alert and HYPNOSIS-control conditions reliably activated contralateral structures, including primary somatosensory cortex (S1), secondary somatosensory cortex (S2), anterior cingulate cortex, and insular cortex. Hypnotic modulation of the intensity of the pain sensation led to significant changes in pain-evoked activity within S1 in contrast to our previous study in which specific modulation of pain unpleasantness (affect), independent of pain intensity, produced specific changes within the ACC. This double dissociation of cortical modulation indicates a relative specialization of the sensory and the classical limbic cortical areas in the processing of the sensory and affective dimensions of pain.

Sandrini, G., I. Milanov, et al. (2000). "Effects of HYPNOSIS on diffuse noxious inhibitory controls." Physiol Behav 69(3): 295-300.

The neurophysiological mechanisms of hypnotic analgesia are still under debate. It is known that pain occurring in one part of the body (counterstimulation) decreases pain in the rest of the body by activating the diffuse noxious inhibitory controls (DNICs). The aim of this study was to explore the effects of HYPNOSIS on both pain perception and heterotopic nociceptive stimulation. The A forms of both the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility and the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale were administered to 50 healthy students. Twenty subjects were selected and assigned to two groups: group A, consisting of 10 subjects with high hypnotic susceptibility; and group B, consisting of 10 subjects with low hypnotic susceptibility. The subjects were then randomly assigned first to either a control session or a session of hypnotic analgesia. The nociceptive flexion reflex (RIII) was recorded from the biceps femoris muscle in response to stimulation of the sural nerve. The subjective pain threshold, the RIII reflex threshold, and the mean area with suprathreshold stimulation were determined. Heterotopic nociceptive stimulation was investigated by the cold-pressor test (CPT). During and immediately after the CPT, the subjective pain threshold, pain tolerance, and mean RIII area were determined again. The same examinations were repeated during HYPNOSIS. HYPNOSIS significantly reduced the subjective pain perception and the nociceptive flexion reflex. It also increased pain tolerance and reduced pain perception and the nociceptive reflex during the CPT. These effects were found only in highly susceptible subjects. However, the DNIC's activity was less evident during HYPNOSIS than during the CPT effects without HYPNOSIS. Both HYPNOSIS and DNICs were able to modify the perception of pain. It seems likely that DNICs and HYPNOSIS use the same descending inhibitory pathways for the control of pain. The susceptibility of the subject is a critical factor in hypnotically induced analgesia.

Patel, B., C. Potter, et al. (2000). "The use of HYPNOSIS in dentistry: a review." Dent Update 27(4): 198-202.

HYPNOSIS is a valuable technique in patient management. With appropriate training, general dental practitioners can widen the treatment options they can offer to patients, especially those who are dentally anxious. This article provides a brief theoretical and historical overview, and a review of the literature pertaining to the clinical uses of HYPNOSIS in dentistry.

Martin-Herz, S. P., C. A. Thurber, et al. (2000). "Psychological principles of burn wound pain in children. II: Treatment applications." J Burn Care Rehabil 21(5): 458-72; discussion 457.

The pain involved in acute burn care can be excruciating and intractable. Even the best pharmacologic pain control efforts often fail to adequately control pain, especially procedure-related pain, in pediatric patients with burn injuries. Nonpharmacologic (hypnosis) interventions have been found to be effective in reducing pain in both children and adults and can be extremely important adjuvants to standard pharmacologic analgesia in the burn care setting. In the first article in this series, we outlined psychological factors that influence the emotions, cognitions, and behaviors of children during wound care. Building on this theoretical framework, we now present a detailed discussion of the implementation of nonpharmacologic intervention strategies in the burn care setting. Because accurate measurement of discomfort is imperative for the development of interventions and for the evaluation of their efficacy, we begin with a brief review of pain measurement techniques. We follow this with suggestions for tailoring interventions to meet specific patient needs and conclude with a detailed and practical discussion of specific intervention techniques and the implementation of those techniques.

Meurisse, M. (1999). "Thyroid and parathyroid surgery under HYPNOSIS: from fiction to clinical application]." Bull Mem Acad R Med Belg 154(2): 142-50; discussion 150-4.

Since 1992, we have used HYPNOSIS routinely in more than 1400 procedures in plastic surgery. Our clinical success and experience with this technique led us to test wether HYPNOSIS using active patient collaboration, could be used as an effective adjunct to conscious intravenous sedation ("hypnosedation", (HS)) for endocrine surgery, as an alternative to general anaesthesia. On a total of 1905 cervical endocrine surgical procedures performed between 1995 and 1998, 296 thyroidectomies and 33 cervical explorations for hyperparathyroidism were conducted under HS. Conversion to GA was needed in three cases (0.9%). All patients having HS reported a very pleasant experience and had significantly less postoperative pain while analgesic use was significantly reduced in this group. Hospital stay was also significantly shorter, providing a substantial reduction of the costs of medical care. The postoperative convalescence was significantly improved after HS and full return to social or professional activity was significantly shortened. We conclude that HS is a very efficient technique that provide physiological, psychological and economic benefits to the patient.

Liossi, C. and P. Hatira (1999). "Clinical HYPNOSIS versus cognitive behavioral training for pain management with pediatric cancer patients undergoing bone marrow aspirations." Int J Clin Exp Hypn 47(2): 104-16.

A randomized controlled trial was conducted to compare the efficacy of clinical HYPNOSIS versus cognitive behavioral (CB) coping skills training in alleviating the pain and distress of 30 pediatric cancer patients (age 5 to 15 years) undergoing bone marrow aspirations. Patients were randomized to one of three groups: HYPNOSIS, a package of CB coping skills, and no intervention. Patients who received either HYPNOSIS or CB reported less pain and pain-related anxiety than did control patients and less pain and anxiety than at their own baseline. HYPNOSIS and CB were similarly effective in the relief of pain. Results also indicated that children reported more anxiety and exhibited more behavioral distress in the CB group than in the HYPNOSIS group. It is concluded that HYPNOSIS and CB coping skills are effective in preparing pediatric oncology patients for bone marrow aspiration.

Faymonville, M. E., M. Meurisse, et al. (1999). "Hypnosedation: a valuable alternative to traditional anaesthetic techniques." Acta Chir Belg 99(4): 141-6.

HYPNOSIS has become routine practice in our plastic and endocrine surgery services. Revivication of pleasant life experiences has served as the hypnotic substratum in a series of over 1650 patients since 1992. In retrospective studies, followed by randomised prospective studies, we have confirmed the usefulness of hypnosedation (HYPNOSIS in combination with conscious IV sedation) and local anaesthesia as a valuable alternative to traditional anaesthetic techniques. The credibility of hypnotic techniques and their acceptance by the scientific community will depend on independently-confirmed and reproducible criteria of assessing the hypnotic state. Based on the clinical success of this technique, we were interested in confirming this phenomenon in healthy volunteers. The revivication of pleasant life experiences thus served as the cornerstone of a basic research program developed to objectify the neurophysiological attributes of the hypnotic state. We compared HYPNOSIS to normal alertness with similar thought content. In our experience, the activation profile obtained during the hypnotic state was completely different from simple re-memoration of the same subject matter during normal alertness. This represents an objective and independent criteria by which to assess the hypnotic state.

Defechereux, T., M. Meurisse, et al. (1999). "Hypnoanesthesia for endocrine cervical surgery: a statement of practice." J Altern Complement Med 5(6): 509-20.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the feasibility of endocrine cervical surgery under hypnoanesthesia as a valuable, safe, efficient, and economic alternative to general anesthesia. METHODS: Between April 1994 and June 1997, 197 thyroidectomies and 21 cervical explorations for hyperparathyroidism were performed under hypnoanesthesia (HYP) using Erikson's method. Operative data and postoperative course of this initial series were compared to a contemporary population of patients (n = 119) clinically similar except that they declined HYP or were judged unsuitable for it, and who were therefore operated on under general anesthesia (GA). RESULTS: The surgeons all reported better operating conditions for cervicotomy using HYP. Conversion from HYPNOSIS to GA was needed in two cases (1%). All patients having HYP reported a pleasant experience and, keeping in mind that the GA group is not a randomly assigned control group, both had significantly less postoperative pain and analgesic use. Hospital stay was also significantly shorter, providing a substantial reduction in the costs of medical care. The postoperative convalescence was significantly improved after HYP and a full return to social or professional activity was significantly quicker. CONCLUSION: From this study, we conclude that HYP is an effective technique for providing relief of intraoperative and postoperative pain in endocrine cervical surgery. The technique results in high patient satisfaction and better surgical convalescence. This technique can therefore be used in most well-chosen patients and reduces the socioeconomic impact of hospitalization.

Botta, S. A. (1999). "Self-HYPNOSIS as anesthesia for liposuction surgery." Am J Clin Hypn 41(4): 299-301; discussion 302.

This article demonstrates how the surgeon performs a major surgical procedure on himself using self-HYPNOSIS as the means of anesthesia and pain control. The hypnotic techniques used by the author for self HYPNOSIS are reviewed. These include glove anesthesia and transference; the switch technique; dissociation; positive imagery; as well as the specific post-hypnotic suggestions used by the surgeon during the operative procedure.

Danziger, N., E. Fournier, et al. (1998). "Different strategies of modulation can be operative during hypnotic analgesia: a neurophysiological study." Pain 75(1): 85-92.

Nociceptive electrical stimuli were applied to the sural nerve during hypnotically-suggested analgesia in the left lower limb of 18 highly susceptible subjects. During this procedure, the verbally reported pain threshold, the nociceptive flexion (RIII) reflex and late somatosensory evoked potentials were investigated in parallel with autonomic responses and the spontaneous electroencephalogram (EEG). The hypnotic suggestion of analgesia induced a significant increase in pain threshold in all the selected subjects. All the subjects showed large changes (i.e., by 20% or more) in the amplitudes of their RIII reflexes during hypnotic analgesia by comparison with control conditions. Although the extent of the increase in pain threshold was similar in all the subjects, two distinct patterns of modulation of the RIII reflex were observed during the hypnotic analgesia: in 11 subjects (subgroup 1), a strong inhibition of the reflex was observed whereas in the other seven subjects (subgroup 2) there was a strong facilitation of the reflex. All the subjects in both subgroups displayed similar decreases in the amplitude of late somatosensory evoked cerebral potentials during the hypnotic analgesia. No modification in the autonomic parameters or the EEG was observed. These data suggest that different strategies of modulation can be operative during effective hypnotic analgesia and that these are subject-dependent. Although all subjects may shift their attention away from the painful stimulus (which could explain the decrease of the late somatosensory evoked potentials), some of them inhibit their motor reaction to the stimulus at the spinal level, while in others, in contrast, this reaction is facilitated.

Spiegel, D. and R. Moore (1997). "Imagery and HYPNOSIS in the treatment of cancer patients." Oncology (Huntingt) 11(8): 1179-89; discussion 1189-95.

Many patients with cancer often seek some means of connecting their mental activity with the unwelcome events occurring in their bodies, via techniques such as imagery and HYPNOSIS. HYPNOSIS has been shown to be an effective method for controlling cancer pain. The techniques most often employed involve physical relaxation coupled with imagery that provides a substitute focus of attention for the painful sensation. Other related imagery techniques, such as guided imagery, involve attention to internally generated mental images without the formal use of HYPNOSIS. The most well-known of these techniques involves the use of "positive mental images" of a strong army of white blood cells killing cancer cells. Despite claims to the contrary, no reliable evidence has shown that this technique affects disease progression or survival. Studies evaluating more broadly defined forms psychosocial support have come to conflicting conclusions about whether or not these interventions affect survival of cancer patients. However, 10-year follow-up of a randomized trial involving 86 women with cancer showed that a year of weekly "supportive/expressive" group therapy significantly increased survival duration and time from recurrence to death. This intervention encourages patients to express and deal with strong emotions and also focuses on clarifying doctor-patient communication. Numerous other studies suggest that suppression of negative affect, excessive conformity, severe stress, and lack of social support predict a poorer medical outcome from cancer. Thus, further investigation into the interaction between body and mind in coping with cancer is warranted.

Ashton, C., Jr., G. C. Whitworth, et al. (1997). "Self-HYPNOSIS reduces anxiety following coronary artery bypass surgery. A prospective, randomized trial." J Cardiovasc Surg (Torino) 38(1): 69-75.

OBJECTIVE: The role of complementary medicine techniques has generated increasing interest in today's society. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the effects of one technique, self-HYPNOSIS, and its role in coronary artery bypass surgery. We hypotesize that self-HYPNOSIS relaxation techniques will have a positive effect on the patient's mental and physical condition following coronary artery bypass surgery. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: A prospective, randomized trial was conducted. Patients were followed beginning one day prior to surgery until the time of discharge from the hospital. SETTING: The study was conducted at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, a large tertiary care teaching institution. PATIENTS: All patients undergoing first-time elective coronary artery bypass surgery were eligible. A total of 32 patients were randomized into two groups. INTERVENTIONS: The study group was taught self-HYPNOSIS relaxation techniques preoperatively, with no therapy in the control group. MEASURES: Outcome variables studied included anesthetic requirements, operative parameters, postoperative pain medication requirements, quality of life, hospital stay, major morbidity and mortality. RESULTS: Patients who were taught self-HYPNOSIS relaxation techniques were significantly more relaxed postoperatively compared to the control group (p=0.032). Pain medication requirements were also significantly less in patients practising the self-HYPNOSIS relaxation techniques that those who were noncompliant (p=0.046). No differences were noted in intraoperative parameters, morbidity or mortality. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the beneficial effects self-HYPNOSIS relaxation techniques on patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery. It also provides a framework to study complementary techniques and the limitations encountered.

Print This Page