Hypnosis helpful for non-cardiac chest pain

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Individuals who experience chest pain that is not caused by a heart condition or heartburn may benefit from hypnotherapy, research suggests.

So-called non-cardiac chest pain "is an extremely debilitating condition of uncertain origin which is difficult to treat and consequently has a high psychological morbidity," Dr. Peter J. Whorwell and colleagues from Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester, UK, note in a report published this month.

They examined the efficacy of hypnotherapy in 28 patients with non-cardiac chest pain. Doctors determined that esophageal reflux was not contributing to the chest pain in these patients.

The subjects were randomly assigned to receive either 12 sessions of hypnotherapy or supportive therapy plus placebo medication over 17 weeks.

Twelve of the 15 hypnotherapy patients (80 percent) experienced a lessening of their chest pain, compared to 3 of the 13 control patients (23 percent).

Hypnotherapy patients reported a significantly greater reduction in pain severity than did control patients. However, the frequency of pain was not reduced significantly.

Global assessment of general well being was also improved in 73 percent of hypnotherapy patients compared with just 23 percent of controls.

Patients in the hypnosis arm were also able to reduce their medication usage whereas this increased in controls, creating a significant difference in favor of hypnotherapy.

SOURCE: Gut, September 2006.