The Use of Medical Hypnosis to Prevent and Treat Acute and Chronic Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

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Abstract
Background/Objectives: In the current opioid crisis, medical hypnosis has been proposed as an alternative to opioids to control acute and chronic pain. The aim of this study was to use a meta-analysis to conduct an objective assessment of the value of medical hypnosis for the management of acute and chronic pain and opioid consumption. Methods: An initial PubMed search showed 111 relevant studies out of 1115. Twelve randomized controlled studies (RCTs) were identified, published from January 2014 to December 2024, focusing on acute and chronic pain. These RCTs were analyzed to compare the effects of medical hypnosis vs. standard care. Results: The use of medical hypnosis for acute pain was found to decrease pain by 0.54 standard deviations (SD) compared to the standard care, and the effect was medium and statistically significant (95% CI [0.19–0.90]; p = 0.0024). Oral morphine equivalents (OME) in the hypnosis group were 1.5 SD lower than in the placebo group, which was statistically significant (95% CI [0.12, 2.88]; p = 0.03). Unlike the effectiveness of hypnosis for acute pain treatment, hypnosis was not found to have any impact on the treatment of chronic pain. The mean pain value difference in the hypnosis group had little effect and showed a statistically insignificant result—a Hedges’ g score of 0.07 (95% CI [−0.14–0.27]; p = 0.518). Conclusions: The use of medical hypnosis was associated with a statistically significant decrease in acute pain scores and OME, suggesting it is a potential alternative to opioids, but our analysis indicates that hypnosis does not reduce chronic pain.
Funding Information
  • Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine
  • Center for Complementary Medicne, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

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