Hypnosis Minimizes Need for Anesthetic and Painkillers (ABC News - video)

 

Hypnosis Minimizes Need for Anesthetic and Painkillers

The effects of hypnosis on reducing preoperative anxiety are well-documented. But increasingly, studies also support a role for hypnosis in reducing pain during and after surgery. The latest research, presented at the European Anaesthesiology Congress in June, found that patients who were hypnotized before breast cancer surgery done under local anesthetic fared better than patients who were put under general anesthetic without hypnosis. Those who underwent hypnosis with a local anesthetic experienced a faster recovery, a shorter hospital stay fewer painkillers.

Similarly, a 2007 study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that patients who were hypnotized briefly before breast cancer surgery needed less anesthetic and had less pain, nausea and fatigue after the procedure. The benefits even extended to the health care system, with a cost savings of $772.71 per patient, mainly due to reduced surgical time.

Full Story:  http://abcnews.go.com/Health/PainNews/cancer-surgery-hypnosis-minim...

Study Referenced:  http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/content/99/17/1304.long

Video on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZBFtgxlAgA

Video on ABC News:  http://abcnews.go.com/Health/video?id=3536010