Hypnosis for Pain Management: What Does the Evidence Say?

By Lilly Geering, Hypnotherapist

As interest in non-drug treatments for pain increases, hypnosis has gained attention as a potential option. A growing body of research has explored its effectiveness in both experimental and clinical settings. While findings vary depending on individual characteristics and context, recent high-quality reviews suggest that hypnosis can reduce pain for many people—particularly when used alongside other treatments.

Experimental Evidence: Strong Results for Suggestible Individuals

A large 2019 meta-analysis examined 85 controlled experimental trials involving over 3,600 healthy participants exposed to pain in laboratory settings (e.g., heat, pressure, or electric stimuli). The study found moderate to large pain-reducing effects of hypnosis across outcomes including pain intensity, threshold, and tolerance (g = 0.54–0.76, all p < .001) (Thompson et al., 2019).

Effectiveness varied significantly based on hypnotic suggestibility—the degree to which an individual responds to hypnotic suggestions. Participants with high suggestibility experienced an average 42% pain reduction, while those with moderate suggestibility showed about 29%. For low-suggestible individuals, effects were minimal. The inclusion of direct analgesic suggestions during hypnosis (e.g., imagining numbness or cooling sensations) further improved outcomes.

Clinical Evidence: Hypnosis for Chronic Pain

A 2022 systematic review focused on individuals with chronic musculoskeletal and neuropathic pain, such as back pain or nerve-related conditions. Across studies, hypnosis led to a moderate decrease in pain intensity (g = −0.42; p = .025 post-treatment) and pain interference (g = −0.39; p = .029) compared to control conditions (Langlois et al., 2022).

The review also found that treatment duration significantly influenced outcomes. Interventions lasting 8 sessions or more showed a moderate to large effect size (g = −0.555; p = .034), while shorter programs had a smaller, non-significant effect (g = −0.299; p = .19). These findings suggest that while hypnosis is not a cure, it may provide meaningful symptom relief for chronic pain patients—particularly when delivered consistently over time.

Hypnosis as an Add-On to Other Therapies

A 2024 meta-analysis examined the adjunctive use of hypnosis—in other words, how hypnosis performs when added to other interventions like medication, education, or standard care. This review included 70 randomised trials with over 6,000 participants across various pain conditions (Jensen et al., 2024).

The findings showed that hypnosis, when added to:

• Medication, produced a moderate additional reduction in pain (about 13 points on a 0–100 scale),
• Education, led to a medium benefit (about 11.5 points),
• Usual care, resulted in a small benefit (~8 points).

However, the certainty of the evidence was rated as low, mainly due to variability in study designs and risk of bias. Still, the overall pattern suggests that hypnosis may enhance the effects of other therapies.

Conclusion

Overall, hypnosis appears to be a promising tool for pain relief. It is most effective for people who are more responsive to hypnotic suggestions and when the intervention includes targeted suggestions for pain reduction. In chronic pain settings, especially musculoskeletal or neuropathic conditions, hypnosis may reduce pain and its impact on daily functioning. When used alongside other treatments, it may provide additional relief, although more high-quality studies are needed to confirm these benefits.

Hypnosis may not be suitable for everyone, but for many, it offers a safe, low-cost, and non-invasive option to consider within a broader pain management plan.

References

• Thompson, T., Terhune, D. B., Oram, C., et al. (2019). The effectiveness of hypnosis for reducing pain: A meta-analysis of 85 controlled experimental pain trials. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 99, 298–310. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.02.013
• Langlois, P., Perrochon, A., David, R., et al. (2022). Hypnosis to manage musculoskeletal and neuropathic chronic pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 135, 104591. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104591
• Jensen, M. P., Adachi, T., Gertz, K. J., et al. (2024). Adjunctive use of hypnosis for clinical pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PAIN Reports, 9(1), e1221. https://doi.org/10.1097/PR9.0000000000000221

To learn more about Lily Geering and her services, click here