Benefits of Hypnosis in Treating Asthma

Asthma is a chronic condition affecting the lungs. It causes inflammation of the airways and causes people with asthma to be more sensitive to the particles they breathe in. Symptoms of asthma include wheezing, shortness of breath, coughing, and chest tightness. Symptoms can be mild or they can be severe. Severe symptoms of asthma are known as asthma attacks. Many alternative treatments such as hypnosis, relaxation, yoga, and stress management have been found to be highly effective (Bray, Kehle, Peck, Margiano, Dobson, Peczynski, Gardner, Theodore, & Arlic, 2006).

Asthma affects 20 million people in the United States and it is estimated that 9 million are children under the age of 18. According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (AAAAI), every day 40,000 American's with asthma miss school or work; 30,000 have an asthma attack; 5,000 visit the emergency room; 1,000 are admitted to a hospital; and 11 people die. These statistics show that asthma is a serious chronic condition that demands attention.


Ewer and Stewart (1986) conducted a study involving 39 adults diagnosed with asthma experiencing mild to moderate symptoms. The study aimed to look at the effect hypnotherapy has on treating people with asthma. Seventeen of the participants were part of the control group and did not receive any form of treatment. The remaining 22 participants were then tested on susceptibility toward hypnosis. Twelve were highly susceptible to hypnosis and the remaining 10 had a low level of susceptibility. The 22 patients in the experimental group received hypnotherapy session for 6 weeks.

Results were highly significant involving the 12 participants who were highly susceptible to hypnosis. They showed a 74.9% improvement in bronchial hyper-responsiveness. These patients also reported 41% improvement of asthma-related symptoms. In addition, their peak expiratory flow rates improved by 5.5% and usage of bronchodilators decreased by 26.2%. The control group and those who showed low susceptibility did not report any improvement. This study shows that people with asthma who are highly susceptible to hypnotherapy are likely to see significant benefits from hypnosis.

There has been a lot of interest in finding non-pharmaceutical treatments for people with asthma (Hackman, Stern, & Gershwin, 2000). There have been numerous studies that have shown the benefits of hypnosis on patients with asthma. This critical review found that hypnotherapy is most beneficial to patients who are more susceptible to hypnosis, when hypnosis sessions are administered over several sessions, and when patients use self-hypnosis at home. Children respond very positively to using hypnosis to treat asthma.

These studies show that a lot of research has been performed showing the benefits of treating asthma with hypnosis. Hypnotherapy helps adults and children suffering from asthma, ease their symptoms and improve their quality of life.

Sources

"asthma statistics." American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. Retrieved on May 8, 2009: http://www.aaaai.org/media/resource...

Bray, M.A., Kehle, T.J., Peck, H.L., Margiano, S.G., Dobson, R., Peczynski, K., Gardner, K., Theodore, L.A., & Alric, J.M. (2006). Written emotional expression as an intervention for asthma: A replication. Journal of Applied School Psychology, 22(1), 141-165.

Ewer, T.C. & Stewart, D.C. (1986). Improvement in bronchial hyper-responsiveness in patients with moderate asthma after treatment with a hypnotic technique: A randomised controlled trial. British Medical Journal, 293, 1129-1132.

Hackman, R.M., Stern, J.S., & Gershwin, M.E. (2000). Hypnosis and asthma: A critical review. Journal of Asthma, 37(1), 1-15.