Hypnosis or hypnotherapy belongs to a branch of medicine known as complementary and alternative medicine.
Hypnotherapy aims to work on the mental processes rather than the physical processes at work in ill health. In a typical hypnotherapy session, the hypnotist will induce a deep state of relaxation which encourages a heightened susceptibility to suggestion. The therapist will then make suggestions that are of therapeutic value to the individual with the expectation that the individual's thought and behavioural patterns will be sufficiently modified on waking to effect some positive changes.
Some people with multiple sclerosis look to hypnotherapy for a range of symptoms including pain, spasm, anxiety and depression. Though no large-scale studies have evaluated the effectiveness of hypnosis as a form of treatment for people with MS specifically, limited research suggests that hypnosis-induced relaxation can help reduce anxiety and pain.
Although some small studies have looked at the effect of hypnotherapy on the function of the immune system (again, not in MS), more research is needed in this area.
The Hypnotherapy Directory lists hypnotherapists with relevant qualifications or who are registered with one of the several professional bodies.
