If you want to know where hypnosis is taken most seriously by medicine, the answer is pain. It is the most studied application, and the results are consistently positive.
What the research shows
A large 2019 meta-analysis pooled 85 controlled experiments involving more than 3,600 participants. It found that hypnosis produced meaningful pain reduction, and that the effect depended heavily on how hypnotizable the person was. Highly responsive people reported pain reductions of around 40 per cent; those of medium responsiveness around 30 per cent. People low in hypnotizability saw little benefit.
Clinical studies point the same way. Hypnosis has been shown to help with:
- Procedural pain — burn dressing changes, biopsies, dental work
- Surgery — less pain, anxiety and nausea afterwards, and sometimes less medication
- Chronic pain — back pain, fibromyalgia, arthritis, cancer pain and headaches
- Labour — some women report less need for pain relief, though results are mixed
How can a thought change pain?
Pain is not a simple readout of tissue damage. It is an experience the brain builds from signals coming in from the body, together with attention, expectation, emotion and memory. That is why the same injury hurts more when you are frightened and less when you are distracted.
Hypnosis works on that construction process. Imaging studies show something striking: suggestions aimed at making pain less intense change activity in sensory areas of the brain, while suggestions aimed at making pain less bothersome change activity in emotional areas. The words used really do matter.
Common techniques
- Direct suggestion. “The area is becoming numb and comfortable.”
- Glove anaesthesia. You imagine your hand going numb, then “transfer” the numbness by touching the painful area.
- The dial. You picture your pain as a dial from 0 to 10 and slowly turn it down.
- Transformation. A burning pain becomes warmth; a stabbing pain becomes pressure.
- Dissociation. You imagine yourself somewhere else, at a distance from the sensation.
What to expect
A course is usually four to eight sessions, with self-hypnosis practice in between. Most people with chronic pain do not become pain-free. A more typical result is that pain becomes less intense, less distressing, and less in charge of daily life. Many also report better sleep and mood.
Important cautions
- Get a diagnosis first. Pain is a warning signal. Do not use hypnosis to mask a symptom that has not been investigated.
- Keep your treatment plan. Hypnosis works alongside medication and physiotherapy, not in place of them. Do not change medication without talking to your doctor.
- Choose a qualified clinician, ideally one with experience in pain management.
The bottom line
For pain, hypnosis is a well-evidenced, low-risk option worth discussing with your healthcare team.
Next in the series: What to Expect at Your First Hypnotherapy Session
This article is for general information and is not medical advice.