*4.2.11 Identification of human sexuality*

*Hypnotherapy and Hypnosis*

*4.2.6 Pulmonary medicine*

*4.2.5 Obstetrics*

disorder. The intervention that has empirically demonstrated to be more efficacious in treating IBS is the use of hypnosis as an adjunct to cognitive behavior therapy. An important impact of hypnotic treatment lasting for several years in most patients has

Experience of patients treated with hypnosis at birth was satisfactory [49], hypnosis has also been used to facilitate delivery in obstetrics [50], and shorter labor

Hypnosis has been shown to improve pulmonary functioning in asthmatic patients with high and medium hypnotizability [52, 53]. Brown [54] reported the efficacy of hypnosis for managing emotional states exacerbating airways obstruction.

Demonstratively, analogue pain has been reduced by hypnosis, preliminary information concerning possible physiological mechanisms of hypnotic analgesia has been offered by studies showing central nervous system activity during hypnotic procedures [55]. In another study, the effectiveness of hypnosis on pain reduction has been demonstrated, which contributed to the theoretical understanding of hypnotic analgesia [55]. These findings were taken to a new level of sophistication by some neurophysiological studies [56]. As an adjunct therapy, clinical hypnosis was considered effective for pain reduction in cancer patients as well as severe chronic diseases for patients receiving palliative care [38]. In the management of chronic pain or cancer procedure-related pain in children, hypnosis is considered as an effective technique [56]. Pain reduction was reported in patients having meta-

Hypnosis fulfills the research criteria in clinical psychology for it to be considered a well-established efficacious treatment for headache and migraine [58, 59]. No risks of adverse reactions or side effects are produced by hypnosis; this decreases the cost of medication associated to conventional medical treatments [59].

There exists an inherent relationship between acupuncture as a form of traditional Chinese medicine and hypnotic rituals of awareness under conscious hypnosis. Besides its various competent applications in different fields, it is used in surgical operations as the sole anesthetic for pain relief, and also for patient care

Benefits of pain relief by hypnosis have been documented in numerous studies. Pin prick and laser heat pain stimulation studies, followed by direct suggestions in hypnosis, resulted in decreased pain measured by means of pain-related brain potentials both subjectively and objectively [61]. Hypnoanalgesia was reported for

been shown in most patients suffering from irritable bowel syndrome [32].

[51], and requires the use of significantly less analgesic medications [32].

*4.2.7 Application of hypnosis in clinical pain management*

static breast carcinoma by hypnotic approach [57].

*4.2.9 Use of hypnosis and acupuncture for pain relief*

during pre-, post-, and intra-operative periods [60].

*4.2.8 Efficacy of hypnosis in the treatment of headache and migraine*

**32**

*4.2.10 Hypnoanalgesia*

In practice, therapists are often confronted with patients seeking therapy for challenges they face owing to their deep-rooted economic, ethical, family, political, religious, and social backgrounds. Therapists find old and newer hypnotic techniques handy in managing the patients' gender ambivalence, identity, sexual orientation, preferences, and functioning difficulties [63–66].