E. Buchser et al., HYPNOSIS AND SELF-HYPNOSIS, ADMINISTERED AND TAUGHT BY NURSES, FOR THE REDUCTION OF CHRONIC PAIN - A CONTROLLED CLINICAL-TRIAL, Schweizerische medizinische Wochenschrift, 124(30), 1994, pp. 77-81
Hypnosis is a technique whereby an individual can reach a particular s
tate, quite unrelated to sleep, characterized by aroused, attentive an
d focused concentration. Although there are numerous clinical applicat
ions of hypnosis, there are virtually no controlled clinical trials to
support its effectiveness. We propose a controlled randomized clinica
l trial comparing a ''control'' group of chronic pain patients treated
by a programme including conventional oral medication combined with v
arious nerve blocks and/or spinal administration of drugs, with a ''tr
eatment'' group having a similar treatment programme plus hypnosis car
ried out by nurses. Outcome measurements include mainly the variation
of pain intensity, the amount of analgesic drug consumption, spontaneo
us physical activity, and the change in health-related quality of life
. The assessment of the outcome variable is done at the initial workup
, weekly for the first 3 weeks, and at 6 and 12 weeks. A follow-up sur
vey is conducted at 6 months.