The Benefits of Hypnosis in Treating Asthma

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The Benefits of Hypnosis in Treating Asthma

 

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Asthma is a chronic condition affecting the lungs. It causes inflammation

of the airways and causes people with asthma to be more sensitive to the

particles they breathe in. Symptoms of asthma include wheezing, shortness of

breath, coughing, and chest tightness. Symptoms can be mild or they can be

severe. Severe symptoms of asthma are known as asthma attacks. Many

alternative treatments such as hypnosis, relaxation, yoga, and stress

management

have been found to be highly effective (Bray, Kehle, Peck, Margiano, Dobson,

Peczynski, Gardner, Theodore, & Arlic, 2006).

 

Asthma affects 20 million people in the United States and it is estimated

that 9 million are children under the age of 18. According to the American

Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (AAAAI), every day 40,000

American's with _asthma_ (http://www.naturalnews.com/asthma.html) miss school

or

work; 30,000 have an asthma attack; 5,000 visit the emergency room; 1,000

are admitted to a hospital; and 11 people die. These statistics show that

asthma is a serious chronic condition that demands attention.

 

Ewer and Stewart (1986) conducted a study involving 39 adults diagnosed

with asthma experiencing mild to moderate symptoms. The study aimed to look

at the effect _hypnotherapy_ (http://www.naturalnews.com/hypnotherapy.html)

has on treating people with asthma. Seventeen of the participants were part

of the control group and did not receive any form of treatment. The

remaining 22 participants were then tested on susceptibility toward _hypnosis_

(http://www.naturalnews.com/hypnosis.html) . Twelve were highly susceptible to

hypnosis and the remaining 10 had a low level of susceptibility. The 22

patients in the experimental group received hypnotherapy session for 6 weeks.

 

Results were highly significant involving the 12 participants who were

highly susceptible to hypnosis. They showed a 74.9% improvement in bronchial

hyper-responsiveness. These patients also reported 41% improvement of

asthma-related symptoms. In addition, their peak expiratory flow rates improved

by 5.5% and usage of bronchodilators decreased by 26.2%. The control group

and those who showed low susceptibility did not report any improvement. This

study shows that people with asthma who are highly susceptible to

hypnotherapy are likely to see significant benefits from hypnosis.

 

There has been a lot of interest in finding non-pharmaceutical treatments

for people with asthma (Hackman, Stern, & Gershwin, 2000). There have been

numerous studies that have shown the benefits of hypnosis on patients with

asthma. This critical review found that hypnotherapy is most beneficial to

patients who are more susceptible to hypnosis, when hypnosis sessions are

administered over several sessions, and when patients use self-hypnosis at

home. Children respond very positively to using hypnosis to treat asthma.

 

These studies show that a lot of research has been performed showing the

benefits of treating asthma with hypnosis. Hypnotherapy helps adults and

children suffering from asthma, ease their symptoms and improve their quality

of life.

 

Sources

 

" asthma statistics. " American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.

Retrieved on May 8, 2009: _http://www.aaaai.org/media/resource..._

(http://www.aaaai.org/media/resources/media_kit/asthma_statistics.stm)

 

Bray, M.A., Kehle, T.J., Peck, H.L., Margiano, S.G., Dobson, R.,

Peczynski, K., Gardner, K., Theodore, L.A., & Alric, J.M. (2006). Written

emotional

expression as an intervention for asthma: A replication. Journal of Applied

School Psychology, 22(1), 141-165.

 

Ewer, T.C. & Stewart, D.C. (1986). Improvement in bronchial

hyper-responsiveness in patients with moderate asthma after treatment with a

hypnotic

technique: A randomised controlled trial. British Medical Journal, 293,

1129-1132.

 

Hackman, R.M., Stern, J.S., & Gershwin, M.E. (2000). Hypnosis and asthma:

A critical review. Journal of Asthma, 37(1), 1-15.