Positive Health Online

Abstract

GAY and colleagues, Psychology Department, Universite de Paris X, 200 avenue de la Republique, Nanterre, 92000, France, marieclaire.gay@free.fr, explored the effectiveness of Erikson hypnosis and Jacobson relaxation in helping to reduce the pain of osteoarthritis .

Background

Methodology

This was a randomized controlled study involving patients with osteoarthritis pain of the knee or hip . Patients received one of three treatments options: 1) 8 standardized sessions of hypnosis ; 2) 8 standardized sessions of Jacobson relaxation ; or 3) referral to a waiting list (controls ).

Results

Patients who received either hypnosis or relaxation interventions experienced a lower level of pain than the controls and the level of subjective pain decreased over time in the two former groups. Beneficial effects of treatment seemed to be experienced sooner by patients in the hypnosis group. Patients receiving hypnosis or relaxation therapies were able to reduce the amount of painkiller medication they regularly took. Findings also suggested that patient differences in imagery ability tempered the effect of the psychological interventions when assessed at 6 months' follow-up, but this was not evident at earlier time points (after 4 or 8 weeks of treatment or at 3-months' follow-up).

Conclusion

The programmes of Erikson hypnosis and Jacobson relaxation used in this study were able to reduce the subjective experience of pain due to osteoarthritis of the knee or hip, at least in the short term (up to 3 months), and the beneficial effects seemed to occur the quickest with hypnosis .

References

Gay MC et al. Differential effectiveness of psychological interventions for reducing osteoarthritis pain: a comparison of Erikson (correction of Erickson) hypnosis and Jacobson relaxation. European Journal of Pain 6 (1): 1-16. 2002.