New studies suggest hypnotherapy may help with surgery pain and offer ‘best treatment’ for children’s stomach pain

What if there were a simple way to help combat pain, without any side effects? Two new studies suggest that hypnotherapy could help do just that. 

Results from a new trial in Somerset suggest that using hypnotherapy could help patients manage pain after colorectal surgery. As part of a year-long study, 40 patients received medical hypnotherapy, also known as clinical hypnotherapy. The data, yet to be verified, shows early indications that those who received therapy recorded lower pain scores after surgery. Doctors hope that the study may be able to help lead to improvements in patient care in the future. Patients taking part in the study received medical hypnosis while in hospital. 

Speaking with BBC Radio Somerset, clinical nurse researcher leading the study, Ana-Marie Toth, said, "Hypnosis is being used in a safe and controlled environment in acute hospitals. It is evidence-based and, potentially, it could improve patient care.”

Further new research into hypnotherapy for pain has revealed that it may be the ‘best treatment’ for children’s stomach pain, according to findings by the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan). Findings suggest that hypnotherapy may offer the ‘best’ treatment for children experiencing long-term stomach pain. 

UCLan researchers analysed different treatments for children with chronic stomach pain, including IBS, abdominal migraines, and unexplained pain – conditions that affect as many as one in eight children. Analysing 91 studies, totalling over 7,200 children aged four to 18, researchers looked at the effectiveness of different treatments including medicines, dietary changes, probiotics, hypnotherapy, and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Hypnotherapy and CBT were found to be the most effective methods of relieving pain and improving symptoms.

Researchers found that hypnotherapy was 68% more successful than taking no action, while CBT was 35% more effective. Prof Morris Gordon, from the University of Central Lancashire’s School of Medicine, commented, “We have found that hypnotherapy and CBT have the best evidence of providing successful treatment and to reduce pain.”

What is clinical hypnotherapy?

Clinical hypnotherapy, also known as medical hypnotherapy, generally refers to the use of hypnosis to help alleviate physical and psychological symptoms. Helping people to achieve a deep level of relaxation, hypnotherapy has been shown to help reduce stress and anxiety levels, both of which can have significant impacts on how individuals perceive pain.

Research into hypnotherapy for pain relief suggests that hypnosis can be an effective way of managing pain, chronic pain, and surgery-related pain and anxiety. A professional clinical hypnotherapist can help guide an individual into a state of deep relaxation, allowing them to let go of distracting conscious thoughts and opening them up to the power of suggestion. 

Rather than trying to convince the individual that there is no pain, hypnotherapy aims to help reduce your fear, stress and anxiety, relax your nervous system, helping it to become less reactive to pain while giving you something else more pleasant to focus on. 

Hypnotherapy Directory Member and trauma-informed therapist, Juliet Hollingsworth, MSc, explains more about hypnotherapy for chronic pain relief and management.

“Research shows a correlation between emotional states and feelings of pain. When you feel angry, anxious, or depressed, your sensitivity to pain is stronger. When you feel happy and positive, pain is easier to manage. There is a vicious circle here because pain can increase feelings of anger, anxiety and depression, thus increasing the feelings of pain. Using hypnosis to stabilise your emotional state will help with chronic pain relief.

“Some research indicates that hypnosis as a tool to manage chronic pain relief is sometimes better than other recognised pain management treatments and consistently superior to no treatment.”

CBT for pain relief

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is one of the most popular forms of talk therapy. CBT can help with some long-standing health problems, such as chronic pain and IBS, by helping individuals to better cope with symptoms and assisting with finding new ways to lower stress levels. CBT can also help to reduce the emotional impact of pain, help improve coping skills, as well as help change your perception of pain. 

As Counselling Directory Member and Psychotherapist, Tom Hatton, explains, pain is more than a physical sensation. It’s deeply shaped by our thoughts, emotions, and past experiences. 

“Many people struggling with chronic pain find that conventional medical treatments offer limited relief. This is because pain is processed in the brain, not just in the body. Our nervous system, emotions, and perception all influence how intensely we experience pain. Therapy offers powerful tools for shifting this experience, helping to reduce suffering and restore a sense of control.

“Therapeutic approaches help shift pain perception by changing how the brain processes pain signals. Cognitive reframing (used in CBT and psychodynamic therapy) challenges thoughts that amplify pain. By working with a therapist, clients learn to respond to pain in new ways, reducing its emotional intensity and making it feel more manageable.”