Hypnosis has been an effective tool for many medical conditions including chronic pain management.  However, there is still significant mistaken beliefs about this procedure and it sometimes evokes memories of movie’s that portray hypnosis as entertainment and deception.  The fact is that hypnosis has become well respected in the medical field and the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis (ASCH) celebrated their 50th anniversary last year.

One of their members, Dr. Mark B Weisberg, put together a report titled Fifty Years of Hypnosis in Medicine and Clinical Health Psychology: a Synthesis of Cultural Crosscurrents.  I’m going to reproduce the conclusion of that report below. 

The developments of the last 50 years have profoundly influenced the practice of hypnosis today. In response to the progress in the field, our assumptions about what can be accomplished clinically have also changed, as have our understanding of the mechanisms responsible for the changes we seek on behalf of our patients. A substantial body of research demonstrates the efficacy of hypnosis as part of the integrative treatment of many conditions that traditional medicine has found difficult to treat. For some disorders (such as irritable bowel syndrome) the evidence for the efficacy of hypnosis is so robust that it could be argued that it is unethical not to inform patients about this treatment modality.

Better evidence exists now supporting the use of hypnosis to relieve discomfort associated with many diagnostic and invasive procedures. The emergence of the PNI literature informs us that modalities such as hypnosis may not only enhance comfort, but may also alter physiological parameters in many conditions. The advent of increasingly sophisticated brain scanning technology has revealed new insights about how various types of hypnotic suggestion changes the activity of specific brain structures. The progression from alternative to integrative medicine cautions us to be open to new therapeutic developments, but not without good empirical support. The debate over hypnosis and possible memory distortion reminds us to remember the fallibility of memory, but also not to throw out the baby with the bathwater.

What’s in store for the next 50 years? What will the retrospective on healthcare reveal in 2058? Most well publicized predictions focus on anticipated advances in technology. Improved genetic screening and treatments of everything from cancer to heart disease will be available. Pill cameras will become more commonplace, replacing x-rays and implants. Implanted monitors and drug dispensers are predicted to normalize the lives of diabetics. Physicians will increasingly use telemedicine to make house calls. Our pharmacopoeia will become increasingly customized, aided by new genetic discoveries.

I also predict that the next half century will bring a more comprehensive understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms that allow us to heal naturally. The newest, most advanced technology will increasingly confirm the efficacy of centuries-old health practices. These developments will enhance our capacity to catalyze patients’ untapped potential for selfhealing. Hypnosis speaks profoundly to every level of our psychophysiological functioning. Applications of hypnosis in healthcare will continue to expand as the emerging science proves its efficacy in greater detail.

To learn about obstacles in chronic pain management please check out my article Overcoming Obstacles for Effective Chronic Pain Management that you can download for free on our Article page.

If you’d like to receive training for helping people with chronic pain and coexisting disorders, including addiction, I’m very excited to announce we are presenting my Addiction-Free Pain Management® Certification Training in Sacramento on August 5-7, 2010. To learn more about this 3 day 20 hour training and my other upcoming trainings you can check out our Calendar page.

You can learn more about the Addiction-Free Pain Management® System at our website www.addiction-free.com. If you or a loved one is undergoing chronic pain management, especially if you’re in recovery or believe you may have a medication or other mental health problem and you want to learn more effective chronic pain management tools, please go to our Publications page and check out my books; especially the Addiction-Free Pain Management® Recovery Guide: Managing Pain and Medication in Recovery. To purchase this book please Click Here.

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