Positive Health Online

Abstract

KOHEN and ZAJAC, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, dpkohen@umn.edu, have tested self-hypnosis for headaches in children and adolescents.

Background

The aim of this study was to describe the effect of treatment with self-hypnosis for youths with recurrent headaches.

Methodology

A retrospective review was conducted of outpatient clinical records of 178 consecutive youths referred to the Behavioral Pediatrics Program (University of Minnesota) from 1988 to 2001 for recurrent headaches. All patients were taught self-hypnosis for self-regulation. Intensity, frequency, and duration of headaches before, during, and after treatment were measured. Outcomes included number and frequency of visits, types of medication, and nature of self-hypnosis practice.

Results

Data were available for 144 patients in this patient self-selected and uncontrolled observation. Compared with self-reports before learning self-hypnosis, children and youths who learned self-hypnosis for recurrent headaches reported reduction in frequency of headache from an average of 4.5 per week to 1.4 per week (p < 0.01), reduction in intensity (on a self-rating scale of 0 to 12) from an average of 10.3 to 4.7, p < 0.01, and reduction in average duration from 23.6 hours to 3.0 hours, (p < 0.01). There were no adverse side effects of self-hypnosis.

Conclusion

Training in self-hypnosis is associated with significant improvement of chronic recurrent headaches in children and adolescents.

References

Kohen DP, Zajac R. Self-hypnosis training for headaches in children and adolescents. Journal of Pediatrics 150 (6): 635-639, Jun 2007.