(11-12-12) Hot flashes halted with hypnosis

by Ben Meredith

(NaturalNews) While there are very divided sentiments about the concept of
alternative therapy, new research has found a potentially effective treatment
for hot flashes due to menopause. The study, conducted by researchers at Baylor
University's Mind-Body Medicine Research Laboratory, received positive results
by using hypnosis as a method of treatment for hot flashes and night sweats.

To date, hormone therapy has proven the most effective treatment for these
symptoms of menopause. Unfortunately, many women can't or won't engage in
hormone therapy for relief.

Finding this alternative method could be a sigh of relief for many women. Hot
flashes can be very exhausting and overwhelming. They are characterized by a
sudden rush of heat, followed by facial flushing and sweating. The rapid flash
is often then followed by chills and clamminess. Approximately 80 percent of
menopausal women suffer these symptoms.

Baylor University researchers did a previous study of the effects of hypnosis
on breast cancer patients who suffered treatment-related hot flashes and night
sweats. Based on the study's success, they decided to try the same method on
menopausal women who suffered the same symptoms.

The study involved 187 postmenopausal women, all of who reported having at
least seven hot flashes a day, or 50 episodes per week. Half of the women went
through self-hypnosis training in five 45-minute weekly sessions. The other
half of the women underwent an equal number of sessions with a clinician, sans
hypnosis training. All of the participants kept diaries documenting the
frequency of their hot flashes, and they also wore small sensors that recorded
hot flashes.

For believers in alternative therapy, the results were uplifting. After 12
weeks, the hypnosis group reported an average of 74 percent fewer hot flashes,
and their skin sensors showed 57 percent fewer hot flashes as well. In
comparison, the other group reported only 17 percent fewer hot flashes with
their skin sensors reporting a 10 percent decrease in hot flash frequency. The
hypnosis group additionally reported a significantly smaller frequency of hot
flashes interfering with their daily lives.

The researchers at Baylor recommend to women interested in trying this
alternative treatment that they find a qualified practitioner - specifically, a
practitioner affiliated with the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis or the
Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis.

For women wanting to learn more about hypnosis as an alternative therapy for
menopausal symptoms, the full study was published in this week's edition of the
journal Menopause.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.healthnewsreview.org

http://www.latimes.com

http://www.southasiamail.com/news.php?id=107402

News

---

In evidenza

"L'informazione presente nel sito serve a migliorare, e non a sostituire, il rapporto medico-paziente."

Per coloro che hanno problemi di salute si consiglia di consultare sempre il proprio medico curante.