Hypnosis: an alternative in pain management for nurse practitioners

Hrezo, R. J. (1998). “Hypnosis: an alternative in pain management for nurse practitioners.” Nurse Pract Forum 9(4): 217-226.

Hypnosis and the trance phenomenon is an age-old tool for the treatment of a variety of conditions, including pain. Medically accepted for over 50 years as a legitimate therapy, research continues into its mechanisms and actions. In this article, its origins, history, theoretical basis, and various uses are discussed. Case presentations from the author are provided, showing its use for a variety of pain management scenarios. Sample hypnotic scripts allow the reader to better visualize the applicability of hypnotic suggestion to general inductions and pain management. References are provided for individuals seeking further information and/or training in hypnosis.

The use of pre-, intra-, and posthypnotic suggestion in anesthesia and surgery

Hernandez, A., Jr. and A. M. Tatarunis (2000). “The use of pre-, intra-, and posthypnotic suggestion in anesthesia and surgery.” CRNA 11(4): 167-172.

While under hypnosis, patients can be taught to alter their psychophysiological functions. With this ability to alter these functions, patients can overcome the anxiety associated with surgery. Patients with high anxiety often experience more depression, can have increased complications, need more anesthesia and medication, have suppressed immune function, and often take longer to heal. The purpose of this article is to review the research literature related to the use of hypnosis in preparing the patient for surgery and to present 2 approaches used by the authors to prepare patients for surgery. The first approach is used when there is enough time to condition the patient, and the second approach is used when the anesthetist meets the patient shortly before the surgery is to begin and there is no time to induce formal trance.

Hypnosis for pain management in the older adult

Cuellar, N. G. (2005). “Hypnosis for pain management in the older adult.” Pain Manag Nurs 6(3): 105-111.

Pain is a physical, emotional and psychologic phenomenon that is often ignored in older adults causing depression and poor quality of life. Older adults report the use of complementary and alternative medicine in some form with 80% of these users reporting improvement in their health conditions. Although physical pain in the older adult is usually managed with pharmacologic interventions, methods that may reduce the use of prescription drugs may decrease adverse effects that can compromise the physiologic state of the older adult. Hypnosis has continued to gain acceptance within mainstream medicine as an appropriate treatment and can be integrated safely with conventional medicine as an effective treatment for a variety of conditions in the older adult. It is an intervention that can be used for relaxation and pain control, especially when conventional pharmacologic regimens have failed. The purpose of this article is to review the concepts related to pain in older adults; the use of complementary and alternative medicine in the older adult; hypnosis and the older adult (i.e., background, definition, benefits, research, mechanism of action, hypnotizability, and the process); and the implications of using hypnosis for pain management in the older adult.