Long-term Effect of Hypnosis in Spinal Cord Injury Patients

Coping-oriented hypnotic suggestions aimed at reducing pain catastrophizing was shown to reduce pain in people with chronic tension-type headache and experimental pain in healthy volunteers during hypnosis (Kjøgx et al., 2016). However, the duration of the effect on pain post-hypnosis is unknown. The aim is to investigate the durational effect of a single session of coping-oriented hypnotic suggestions on chronic pain in patients with spinal cord injury. If effective for a longer period post-hypnosis, this form of hypnosis may provide an alternative to medicine or may be used in conjunction with lower medicine dosages. Methods: 75 patients with spinal cord injury and pain is randomized into one of three conditions; coping-oriented hypnosis plus current treatment, neutral hypnosis plus current treatment or current treatment only. Pain intensity, coping strategies, pain catastrophizing, anxiety and depression is assessed before intervention and over a period of 14 days post-intervention.

Hypnosis using coping-oriented suggestions based on reversal of statements from the pain catastrophizing scale plus current treatment.

Inclusion Criteria: Spinal cord injury (tetraplegia or paraplegia) with some preservation of hand functioning Baseline pain level of ≥ 3 on a Numeric Rating Scale (NRS; 0-10 where 10 is extremely severe pain) Pain duration of at least 8 weeks. Exclusion Criteria: Severe mental or psychiatric illness Substance abuse (drugs, alcohol or medicine) Lack of ability to cooperate during the experiment Severe high cervical lesions Severe autonomic dysautonomia

Kjogx H, Kasch H, Zachariae R, Svensson P, Jensen TS, Vase L. Experimental manipulations of pain catastrophizing influence pain levels in patients with chronic pain and healthy volunteers. Pain. 2016 Jun;157(6):1287-1296. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000519.