Positive Health Online

Abstract

KOHEN, Institution Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55414, USA. dpkohen@umn.edu describe the use of self-hypnosis for the treatment and possible prevention of daily headaches in children and adolescents.

Background

Although the evidence is clear that hypnosis has been an effective treatment for recurrent headaches in children, review of the literature revealed no previous reports of hypnosis for youth with the condition of chronic daily headache.

Methodology

Two adolescents with continuing chronic daily headaches were taught self-hypnosis through careful attention to individual strengths and finding the hypnotic elements within the clinical encounters.

Results

Self-reports of intensity, frequency, and duration of headaches described substantial benefit from learning and practicing self-hypnosis after little to no benefit from pharmacologic and other nonpharmacologic therapies. These results and analogous success with several other adolescents with chronic daily headache support the further use of self-hypnosis training for this condition.

Conclusion

As a self-regulation technique that is quickly and easily learned by most young people, self-hypnosis training holds considerable promise for effectively treating and perhaps preventing chronic daily headaches in children and adolescents.

References

Kohen DP. Chronic daily headache: helping adolescents help themselves with self-hypnosis. Source American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis. 54(1):32-46, Jul 2011.

Comment

The above studies illustrate the clinical efficacy of hypnosis for paediatric abdominal pain, asthma and headaches.