Yet another research study shows that hypnosis is helpful in the treatment of pain.  The paper, published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology (April 2006, v74 n2 p253-262) specifically looked at hypnotic suggestibility and its relationship to treating pain patients.

In the study, 188 participants were randomly divided into six groups. The six groups included distraction, cognitive-behavioral package, hypnotic cognitive-behavioral package, hypnotic analgesia suggestion, placebo control, or no-treatment control conditions. The study showed that there was a direct correlation between hypnotic suggestibility and the hypnotic interventions. The participants in the hypnotic cognitive-behavioral group and hypnotic analgesia suggestion group who were highly suggestible saw the greatest reduction in pain. The study also pointed out that response to hypnotherapy is a trait. Some people are more suggestible than others and thus are going to react more favorably to treatment. Although the results do not mean that everyone is going to benefit from hypnosis, it shows that those who are highly suggestible will most likely benefit through hypnosis treatment.

I honestly believe that suggestibility is not as helpful a measure of possible effectiveness when used via standard suggestibility testing as such approaches are noninteractive and do not allow for hypnotist adaptability to trance partner feedback.  When one factors in interactive adaptability, effectiveness rises very significantly.

All the best,
Brian

Brian David Phillips, PhD, CH [phillips@nccu.edu.tw]Certified Hypnotherapist
President, Society of Experiential Trance
Associate Professor, NCCU, Taipei, Taiwan
http://www.BrianDavidPhillips.com