Hypnosis as an Adjunct for Managing Pain in Head and Neck Cancer Patients Post Radiotherapy
Kanitta Thuma MS*, Thannapat Ditsataporncharoen MD*, Suwanna Arunpongpaisal MD**, Pulsuk Siripul PhD***
Affiliation : * Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand ** Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand *** Faculty of Nursing, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
Background : Many factors contribute to pain in cancer patients. Hypnotherapy is the mental processes, involving conscious
and unconscious awareness to understanding of the pain to correct thought, improve emotional acceptance, and reduce pain
by the patient themselves.
Objective : To examine the effects of hypnotherapy on pain reduction in the patient’s with head and neck cancer after radiation
therapy.
Material and Method: A randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted with the 68 patients who were divided into two
groups, i.e., 34 patients undergoing hypnotherapy and 34 patients received usual care. Visual analogue scales (VAS) were
used for pain assessment.
Results : Sixty-eight patients were recruited in the present study and half were randomly assigned to hypnotherapy group. One
participant in the treatment and two participants in the control groups discontinued before the end of the study. Demographic
data were comparable in the two groups. No complication was found during, immediately after, or five days after the
procedure. After adjusted with baseline, gender, age, non-opioid, week-opioid, and strong-opioid, hypnosis treatment
demonstrated significantly less pain score -1.966, (95% CI -2.260 to -1.673, p-value <0.001) than the control group.
Conclusion : Hypnosis can reduce pain in patients with head and neck cancer after radiation therapy and it is much better
when using combination with the strong opioids. The hypnosis command can be used to reduce chronic pain for cancer
patients with head and neck in addition to the usual treatments. Relationships between clinician and patient, patient’s
knowledge, exploring patient’s difficulties, and hypnosis training are all important factors to be considered before the
hypnotherapy.
Keywords : Hypnosis, Pain, Head and neck cancer, Radiation
