Purpose: To investigate the effect of hypnosis and visual imagery on experimental pain among a convenience sample of adults in the community. Background: Despite two decades of intense pain research traditional pain management continues to rely primarily on pharmaceuticals for pain relief. Unfortunately, pain medication regimes are not totally effective in relieving pain. Cognitive interventions such as hypnosis and visual imagery are not currently utilized by nursing in pain management. Methodology: Twelve subjects (age 27-60) were recruited from the business community. The first trial, the control condition, involved the production of pain with no intervention, followed by a trial of pain and visual imagery with standardized verbal suggestions for pain relief. During the third trial a hypnotic induction was provided with standardized verbal suggestions for pain relief. Hypnotic susceptibility was measured using the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale: Form C. Pain was produced via the sub-maximal tourniquet test for no longer than 20 minutes. Pain intensity and pain distress were measured by self-report using an 11-point scale. Tolerance for the pain experience was measured by cuff time. Results: Pain intensity and pain distress were significantly reduced following both the visual imagery and hypnosis sessions. Tolerance for the pain experience was significantly longer for the hypnosis trial (8.29 minutes for the control, extended to 17.33 minutes with hypnosis). Power ranged from .92 to .98 indicating the sample was large enough to identify significant differences. Effect sizes measured at eta2 ranged from .71 to .75. Implications: Results of this support that hypnosis can be an effective non-pharmacologic nursing pain management intervention.
Session #1065 - Pain Management: Implications for Nursing Practice
The 29th Annual MNRS Research Conference (April 1-4, 2005)