Hypnosis Program Effectiveness in a 12-week Home Care Intervention To Manage Chronic Pain in Elderly Women: A Pilot Trial

Abstract

PurposeAs the prevalence of pain increases with age, taking too much medication can lead to negative side effects in elderly patients. While evidence in the literature has shown that clinical hypnosis is effective in an adult population, there are few studies in an aging population and efficacy has never been established in a home care setting. The goal of this study was to determine the effects of a hypnosis program delivered during home care interventions in elderly women during a 12-week period. MethodsThis pilot trial took place from April 2016 to October 2017 at Limoges, France. Fifteen elderly women with chronic pain participated (81 (65–87) years old). All participants presented chronic pain for more than 6 months (inclusion criteria: average pain score >4/10). Participants took part in three 15-min hypnosis sessions separated by four to six weeks. Each hypnosis session was personalized and carried out with induction, pain perception alteration, and post-hypnotic suggestions. Pain perception and pain interference were evaluated with the Brief Pain Inventory questionnaire, and compared between before and after the 12-week hypnosis program. FindingsHypnosis home care program significantly improved scores on worst (8.9 to 6.7, P < 0.001), average (6.8 to 5.1, P < 0.001), and current pain perception (6.5 to 3.9, P < 0.001), pain interference with physical activity (P < 0.001) and with socio-affective factors (P < 0.01). ImplicationsTaken together, these findings show that a hypnosis intervention is feasible and effective to manage pain in an elderly population.