Hypnosis was first used in medicine by German physician Franz Mesmer, who used it to treat patients in Vienna and Paris. The technique initially lost credibility due to Mesmer's incorrect theoretical framework involving occult forces, but later researchers recognized the genuine psychological phenomena he had observed.
Notable figures including Sigmund Freud explored hypnosis's therapeutic applications for neurotic conditions and memory recovery. Military medicine during both World Wars employed hypnotic techniques for combat-related psychological trauma, helping to establish its legitimacy as a clinical tool.
Contemporary research examines hypnosis for pain management with growing rigor. A 2015 summary in the American Psychologist found that clinical trials have suggested the effectiveness of hypnotic techniques in alleviating chronic pain, alongside neurophysiological evidence of alterations in brain and spinal cord activity. Benefits extended beyond analgesia, including relaxation and mood improvements, though effectiveness varied among individuals based on suggestibility scores.
The Thompson et al. 2019 systematic review analyzing 85 experimental trials demonstrated that high and medium suggestibles experienced a 42% and 29% pain reduction through hypnosis respectively, with minimal results for low responders.
Researchers advocate for further investigation into hypnosis as a non-pharmaceutical pain management option, particularly given opioid-related risks such as addiction, tolerance, and cost. As interest in multimodal and integrative pain management grows, hypnosis may play an expanding role in perioperative and chronic pain care.