Hypnosis Proven Effective to Stop Smoking in a Hospitalized Setting

Results of a study were presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians in October 2007 that showed that half of hospitalized smokers had success of smoking cessation with hypnosis compared with other approaches tested in a comparison study. The study showed that hypnosis was twice as effective as the next best smoking cessation approach, including pharmacologic treatments The study compared four smoking cessation programs in hospitalised patients who were motivated to quit. Compared were hypnosis, nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), hypnotherapy plus NRT, or abrupt cessation without other treatment (cold turkey). All of the patients expressed a desire to stop smoking which as we know is a key component to success.

Interestingly, it was found that men were more likely to choose a "quick fix," going cold turkey or choosing a NRT patch while women were more likely to choose hypnotherapy. All patients received counselling in this study. Patients receiving hypnosis had an initial session while in the hospital and a second session a week after discharge. Patients receiving NRT began therapy during hospitalization and continued with NRT during the month after discharge.

After 6 months, 50% of patients who underwent hypnosis remained smoking-free as were those who received hypnotherapy plus NRT. One quarter of patients who went cold turkey remained successful, while 15.78% of those who received NRT alone continued to not smoke. It was found that, adding NRT did not help the success of hypnotherapy. Patients who had been hospitalised with a cardiac diagnosis were more likely to be successful at quitting than those with a pulmonary diagnosis, with success rates of 45.5% and 15.63%, respectively.

Hypnosis in the Medical Setting

A new Mayo Clinic study shows that massage therapy decreases pain levels for patients after heart surgery. In the study were 58 patients who had undergone surgery and examined the effect of massage on pain after surgery. Of the 30 who received massage, the mean pain scores were less than 1 on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 as the most painful. Before the massage therapy, these patients rated their pain at an average of 3 on a 10-point scale. The control group (which consisted of 28) had their pain levels remaining the same over the same period, according to findings published in Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice.

In 2004, the Mayo Clinic's cardiovascular surgery group began looking at complementary therapies. According to surveys that were conducted the group started to hear from patients that tension, stress, pain and anxiety hampered their recovery.

There is now the "Healing Enhancement Program" for cardiac surgery patients. It offers massage, music and guided imagery. The program combines evidence-based conventional care and evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine.These therapies place are seen as an important addition in helping the patients.

The programs team of health professionals have created pilot studies and research protocols for massage therapy, music therapy and guided imagery for patients, as well as stress education classes for patients and family members.Currently a controlled trial for various music CD's is under way.

This complementary health method teaches patients to use their imaginations along with music to help guide them through recovery. The guided imagery is on CD's which are distributed to patients when they are informed of the need for surgery.

The Mayo Clinic Patient Education Center offers a pilot stress management skill classes to inpatients and their family members. The classes are conducted twice a week on the cardiac surgery units. The Mayo Clinic now has a full-time massage therapist available for patients after heart surgery because of this program.

Now is the time for Hypnotherapists to go out there and spread the word about the use of hypnosis in the medical setting.