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"Hypnosis"
Can Help Children With Painful Medical Procedures
As much as doctors try
to minimize the medical procedures a child must undergo,
there are some that are unavoidable, and these can be
both painful and frightening to children. One such
procedure is called a "VCUG", which is a test
of a child's urinary function. Wondering if teaching
children relaxation techniques could reduce their pain
and anxiety during this procedure, doctors in Palo Alto,
California, studied the effects of hypnosis among 44
children who had previously undergone a VCUG and now
needed to have it again.
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Well before the procedure,
the children, who were at least 4 years old, were
assigned either to the hypnosis group or the routine
care group. Those in the hypnosis group were given a
1-hour training session on how to induce a relaxation
response by using visual imagery; parents and children
were asked to practice the hypnotic procedure several
times a day before the VCUG, and the therapist was
present during the VCUG to assist the child. Those in
the routine care group were offered an in-hospital
recreation therapy program that included a demonstration
of the procedure, relaxation and breath work training,
and provided assistance during the VCUG.
The authors found that
children who underwent relaxation training benefited in
four areas. First, their parents reported that the
procedure was less traumatic than it had been
previously; second, researchers observed that the
children had less distress during the procedure; third,
the medical staff reported less difficulty performing
the procedure, and fourth, the time it took to conduct
the VCUG was significantly shortened. (Butler LD et al:
Pediatrics, January, 2005, pages e77-85 [electronic
edition])
COMMENT: It's important
to point out that what the authors mean by
"hypnosis" is not the kind of thing where
someone stares at a pendulum and is told "you are
getting sleepy". Rather, hypnosis here is a form of
guided imagery, where the subject focuses on a pleasant
image in order to get into a state of relaxation. This
approach has helped children with various medical
conditions, but what's new in this study is that these
children, even young ones, were able to use the
technique to minimize their fear, anxiety, and pain
during a procedure that had previously been quite
difficult. There are a number of questions that remain
to be answered, but this report offers evidence that
researchers are working hard to find safe approaches
that will help children get through uncomfortable,
painful, and frightening medical procedures.
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