Research
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NIH-Funded Research Utilized Our Integral Hypnotherapy Methodology and Discovered New Hope For 33 Million Americans
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October 2018 News update: The latest scientific research is proving that hypnotherapy mobilizes the healing power of the mind to produce evidence-based results. This study addressed a chronic condition that 33 million Americans, one-tenth of the population, suffer from—Overactive Bladder/Urinary Urgency Incontinence. We anticipate that the success of the following research will likely result in thousands of referrals from medical practitioners to hypnotherapists who are qualified to conduct this protocol. A 4-year, 3 million dollar study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and conducted at the University of New Mexico Hospital utilizing our techniques is now complete. It was a great success for hypnotherapy! This study’s purpose was to determine if hypnotherapy is, or is not, inferior to the current standard medical treatment of Overactive Bladder (OAB)/Urinary Urgency Incontinence (UUI). Part of what makes this so significant is the scientific rigor of this research study. For example, it involved 152 patients—a significant sample of the population. Also unique to this study is that it tested our Integral Hypnotherapy methodology against the current standard medical treatment. This clinical trial randomized 74 patients into the hypnotherapy group and 78 into the standard medical treatment group.
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We are receiving reports from the physician investigators, which show that the patients receiving hypnotherapy for overactive bladder and urinary incontinence had equivalent results to the current standard medical treatment overall. In those patients who were moderately to highly responsive to hypnosis, the one-year follow-up showed superior results to the standard medical treatment. This indicates that overall, hypnotherapy is not inferior to the current standard medical treatment of OAB/UUI, and in many cases is superior. While hypnotherapy may not be appropriate for everyone, this scientifically rigorous study is breaking new ground in the mainstream acceptance of hypnotherapy as an adjunctive modality. The peer-reviewed research was presented in abstract form at the American Urogynecologic Society (AUGS) conference, held in Chicago on October 11, 2018.
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Four Elements that Make this Scientific Research Groundbreaking
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This study did test hypnotherapy against the current standard of care. In past decades, the majority of research studying the therapeutic application of hypnosis or hypnotherapy did not test hypnotherapy against the current standard treatment of a medical condition.
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This study, due to the three million dollars in funding, included a large enough sample to reflect the population of people affected by this condition. The Integral Hypnotherapy methodology was found to be equivalent to, and in many patient cases, superior to the current standard medical treatment.
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This was a positive study finding. The hypothesis was to test that hypnotherapy is not inferior to the current standard medical treatment of OAB/UUI. Our study was positive, which means successful because it showed that overall, patients in the hypnotherapy group had the same results as patients in the drug therapy group. Additionally, those who were moderately to highly responsive to hypnosis had superior results to the standard medical treatment group.
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Rigorous research like this randomized clinical trial presents medical providers with another safe and effective evidence-based treatment option for OAB/UUI.
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Sourced from: Hypnotherapy Academy of America Website
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