
Welcome back to Hypnosis News. This week we’re back with an interesting article from WebMD talking about hypnosis as a treatment for menopause, hot flashes, and night sweats. While I’m not there yet, it is hopeful to know that hypnosis can help.
So let’s take a look at what they found.
Menopause
A recent study from Baylor University’s Mind-Body Medicine Research Lab recently found that alternative therapy reduced hot flashes by as much as 74%. The only treatment found more effective at this point is hormone therapy. A treatment some women cannot participate in and others wish to avoid.
Symptoms
- Irregular periods
- Vaginal dryness
- Hot flashes
- Chills
- Night sweats
- Sleep problems
- Mood changes
- Weight gain and slowed metabolism
- Thinning hair and dry skin
- Loss of breast fullness
Hot Flashes, Night Sweats
Hot flashes are defined as a sudden rush of heat. They are then quickly followed by facial flushing, sweating, chills, and clamminess. Hot flashes and night sweats are the most common symptom of menopause occurring in as many as 80% of women.
Science has determined they are linked to declining estrogen levels, but it remains unclear why the sudden lack of estrogen sends the body into mayhem. Or why some women are more affected than others. Hormone therapy is great for the treatment of hot flashes, but concerns about the risks have limited its use among women.
“There is certainly a need for non-pharmacologic treatments for hot flashes and night sweats,” says North American Menopause Society (NAMS) Executive Director Margery Gass, MD.
Hypnosis and Hot Flashes
So let’s look at what the study itself said.
187 postmenopausal women reporting at least seven hot flashes per day (or 50/week) were chosen. Each received 5 weekly session of either clinical hypnosis or structured attention control. The results showed that compared to the other treatment, clinical hypnosis resulted in significant reductions in self-reported and actually measured hot flashes.
As stated earlier 80% of women report symptoms including hot flashes, night sweats, increased heart rate, chills, shivering, clamminess, anxiety, feelings of nausea, a “head-ache”-like sensation, visible reddening, and blotching of the face and neck, an increase in core body temperature, increased metabolism, and interrupted sleep. Symptoms generally last between 5 and 7 years though they can persist up to 20 years. Many drugs are promising, but the side effects often deter long term compliance.
Results
Hypnosis showed almost a 64% reduction in symptoms from baseline to 6 weeks in. The control group only showed a 7% reduction in comparison. The reductions continued well into week 12 with follow up reports showing reductions up to 75%. This is a statistically significant change. In addition, there was a substantial improvement in the quality of sleep obtained due to these improvements.
Like many cases, the mechanism of action in hypnosis for hot flashes remains unknown. Science is only now beginning to unlock more and more of how the mind works. But we are bound to learn more as science continues to investigate hypnosis and its related phenomena.
Find Relief
Do you think hypnosis could be a treatment for you? If so please check out All About Hypnosis (LINK) to learn more about how it works and what it feels like, among other things. Until next time, keep it trancy and enjoy your week. We look forward to bringing new and exciting articles to you in the next edition of Hypnotic News.