Systematic Review of the Effectiveness of Hypnosis for the Management of Headache

Migraine is a complex neurological condition that causes a range of symptoms, the most common of which is a severe headache. The aim of this systematic review of the literature is to determine the efficacy of hypnosis in the treatment of migraine. A systematic search of 4 scientific databases was conducted using the primary search terms migraine, headache, hypnosis, and hypnotherapy. A total of 8 studies were identified that examined hypnotic techniques either alone or in combination with other nonpharmaceutical techniques, such as visual imagery, relaxation, and pain-displacement techniques. This study demonstrates that hypnotherapy and relaxation techniques are effective in reducing short- and long-term headache activity in migraine sufferers.

Preliminary investigation of associations of illness schemata and treatment-induced reduction in headaches

This study examined how illness schemata-ways people organize information about illness-change over the course of cognitive-behavioral treatment of chronic headache and the extent to which such changes predict reduction of headache. 73 subjects with chronic migraine, mixed migraine and tension, or tension headache were classified on the basis of outcome from imagery-based treatment as Treatment-responders (n = 24). Treatment nonresponders (n = 27), and Monitoring Controls (n = 22). Self-reported illness schemata related to the seriousness and changeability of headache were assessed at pretreatment and 8-wk. follow-up. While groups did not differ on pretreatment measures of illness schemata, at follow-up the Treatment responder group reported higher Changeability scores than Treatment-nonresponders and Control subjects and lower Seriousness scores than Control subjects. Headache reduction at follow-up was related to follow-up Changeability scores, in-session changes in systolic blood pressure and reported posttreatment expectations of headache activity, but not pretreatment measures of illness schemata. Findings indicate that improvements in headache activity are not influenced by the severity of headaches and may change prior to cognitive-behavioral treatment. Rather, among individuals who show decreases in headache activity, changes in beliefs about illness and headache reduction may have reciprocal relations both of which result from cognitive behavioral treatment.