Research is showing that hypnosis, a therapeutic tool
for centuries, can help patients endure difficult
medical procedures.
Stanford University psychiatrist David Spiegel is
testing whether self-hypnosis can help both adults and
children relax during painful or stressful medical
procedures that require them to stay awake.
"Being hypnotized is something like looking through a
telephoto lens," says Dr. Spiegel, "what you see you see
with great detail, but you're less aware of the
surroundings, of the context in which you're
experiencing it."
Spiegel taught a self-hypnosis technique to 23 children
aged four to fifteen who had to undergo a stressful
medical test. He reported in the Journal Pediatrics that
they showed less distress, and the test was easier to
conduct, and took nearly a third less time, compared to
21 children who underwent routine treatment.
"Any surgical or medical procedure that involves pain
and anxiety and that doesn't have general anesthesia is
something where we could help patients get through it
more comfortably," says the doctor.
Spiegel has also taught self-hypnosis to Parkinson's
disease patients having a treatment in which surgeons
implant electrodes in areas of the brain that control
movement. Michael Kaplitt, a neurosurgeon at Weill-Cornell
Medical Center in New York who performs this procedure,
says he's open to the idea, but wants more studies to
see
Hypnosis isn't for everyone; Spiegel says some people
are just not hypnotizable, and recommends talking to a
licensed, trained professional.
Spiegel says there are two legitimate professional
hypnosis societies to get referrals from -- the Society
for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, and the American
Society Of Clinical Hypnosis.
... a successful surgery and a comfortable recovery!
