Hypnotherapy in management of pain in children with cancer: a case report

Abstract

Introduction and importance: Pain is the most common symptom in cancer patients that can affect their performance and quality of life. The present study aimed to determine the effect of hypnotherapy on the intensity of pain in children with cancer. Case presentation: This is a case study with a single-subject research design, in which a total of 3 female children with cancer were recruited using voluntary response sampling. Classical hypnotherapy was conducted for patients in 8 treatment sessions with a 1-month postintervention follow-up. Participants completed the Oucher Pain Scale (OPS) at 5 stages including before the intervention, third, fifth, and eighth hypnotherapy sessions, and 1 month after the intervention. Data analysis was conducted using a statistical report on the recovery rate and effect size. Clinical discussion: The results showed that hypnotherapy had a significant effect on the intensity of pain, in the treatment and follow-up stages. Conclusions: It can be stated that the use of hypnotherapy has been highly effective in reducing the intensity of pain in children with cancer.