If you have seen Dracula or The Jungle Book, this scene may seem familiar: a creepy hypnotist stares deeply into someone’s eyes, causing them to fall into a trancelike state. However, despite its over-romanticization in popular media, hypnotism is a legitimate phenomenon with proven psychological effects. Hypnotherapy–medical hypnosis–was declared an official form of medical treatment in the 1950s, and is widely implemented today to address a variety of conditions, including chronic pain, trauma, eating disorders, labor, asthma, and more [1]. 

In particular, hypnosis can be used to treat Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or IBS. This chronic bowel disorder affects about 15-20% of the general population, and induces painful gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, and altered bowel habits [2]. Pharmacological treatments can only address one symptom at a time; therefore, hypnotherapy offers a unique psychological treatment with holistic physical benefits. Patients typically undergo about twelve 60-minute sessions on a once-per-week basis, and are instructed to practice at home between sessions [3]. 

During a typical appointment, a patient will be inducted into the hypnotic state while focusing on muscular relaxation. Meanwhile, the hypnotherapist provides personalized suggestions to relieve symptoms [2]. For example, a patient may be asked to imagine clearing a blocked river so that it runs smoothly. This specific exercise mimics the feelings of a digestive system clearing, giving the patient the illusion of symptom relief. The overall goal of the hypnosis sessions is to familiarize the patient with their inner workings, encouraging them to develop control over bodily functions like breathing and, eventually, gastrointestinal symptoms [3]. 

Although the exact neurological effects of hypnosis vary from person to person, hypnotherapy alleviates patients’ symptoms by affecting their neural activity. In order to visualize the way hypnotherapy impacts an IBS patient’s brain activity, one can use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) responses to the distension of a rectal balloon simulating gastrointestinal discomfort. Without treatment, IBS patients normally show higher BOLD activity in brain regions associated with visceral (gut-related) signal processing and emotional arousal. However, after hypnotherapy, there was no difference in rectal balloon distension response between IBS patients and healthy patients [2]. This data can be seen in the fMRI image in the image inset: the bottom row (healthy patients) more strongly resembles the middle row (IBS patients post-hypnotherapy) than the top (IBS patients). 

BOLD responses to rectal balloon distension. From top to bottom: IBS patients, IBS patients post-hypnotherapy, healthy patients [2].

BOLD responses to rectal balloon distension. From top to bottom: IBS patients, IBS patients post-hypnotherapy, healthy patients [2].

BOLD data additionally reveals that gastrointestinal discomfort was reduced as a result of hypnosis, an observation which is backed by patients themselves. A survey provided to IBS hypnotherapy patients proves that 71% of patients saw immediate symptom improvement, and 81% of these experienced prolonged symptom relief up to one year post-treatment. More specifically, these patients felt a gastrointestinal pain reduction from 58/100 to 26.4/100, which rose only to a 32.2/100 over the course of the year [4]. Therefore, hypnotherapy not only alleviates IBS symptoms, but also can have long-lasting beneficial effects on patients’ wellbeing. 

Perhaps the next time you encounter hypnosis in a movie or book, feel free to laugh along with your friends, but remember this: if you are experiencing IBS, chronic pain, or a variety of other conditions, this seemingly goofy phenomenon may be a surprising solution to your pain. 



References:

  1. Simon, E.P.; James, L.C. Clinical applications of hypnotherapy in a medical setting. Hawaii Med J. 1999, 58 (12), 344-347.

  2. Lowén, M.B.; Mayer, E.A.; Sjöberg, M.; et al. Effect of hypnotherapy and educational intervention on brain response to visceral stimulus in the irritable bowel syndrome. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2013, 37 (12), 1184-1197. 

  3. Lindfors, P.; Unge, P.; Arvidsson, P.; et al. Effects of gut-directed hypnotherapy on IBS in different clinical settings–results from two randomized, controlled trials. Am J Gastroenterol. 2012, 107 (2), 276-285. 

  4. Gonsalkorale, W.M.; Miller, V.; Afzal, A.; Whorwell, P.J. Long term benefits of hypnotherapy for irritable bowel syndrome. Gut. 2003, 52 (11), 1623-1629.

  5. Header source: https://www.istockphoto.com/vector/monochrome-hypnotic-spiral-gm857332236-141375005

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