Can Self-Hypnosis Relieve Hot Flashes?

By Crystal Lindell

A new study suggests that self-administered hypnosis significantly reduces hot flash symptoms for women going through menopause.

While previous research has shown that hypnosis can relieve hot flashes, depression, PTSD and even some types of chronic pain, those studies mainly focused on hypnosis given by a professional in a clinical setting.

The results from this study are noteworthy because they show that hypnosis can be effective even if it’s self-administered.

Hot flashes can cause sweating, discomfort, anxiety, fatigue, and sleep interference. Up to 80% of older women report hot flash symptoms from menopause, which can persist for 4 to 7 years.

The study, which was published in JAMA Network Open, included 250 postmenopausal women. One group received self-administered hypnosis, while the other group received a placebo “sham” hypnosis. 

Participants in the hypnosis intervention were given educational material on the use of hypnosis for the treatment of hot flashes and were asked to listen to 20-minute audio-recorded hypnosis sessions daily for 6 weeks. The audio recordings included hypnotic relaxation methods and mental imagery for “coolness” to counteract the “hot” sensations.

Those receiving the placebo hypnosis were asked to listen to white noise audio recordings labeled as “hypnosis” for 20 minutes each day. They were also given the same educational material.

Participants in both groups completed a daily diary on the frequency and severity of their hot flashes.

The results were striking. After six weeks, the hypnosis group experienced a significantly greater reduction in hot flash scores vs. the sham group (53.4% vs 40.9%).

The hypnosis group also reported a greater reduction in daily interference from hot flashes (49.3% vs 37.4%), and greater perceived benefits (90.3% vs 64.3%) compared with the sham hypnosis group.

“Self-administered clinical hypnosis was shown to be an effective, clinically significant intervention for the treatment of hot flashes due to its efficacy in reducing hot flash scores (ie, frequency and severity) by more than half and yielding improvements in participants’ perception of their quality of life,” wrote lead author Gary Elkins, PhD, a Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Baylor University.

While hormonal changes are the root cause of menopausal hot flashes, environmental factors can also play a role. According to the Mayo Clinic, hot flash triggers include hot weather or warm environments; wearing heavy clothing; drinking caffeinated or alcoholic beverages; eating spicy foods; feeling stressed; drinking hot beverages; taking hot showers or baths; and smoking cigarettes.

The wide range of triggers, including “feeling stressed” may help explain why hypnosis would be effective at treating hot flashes. And since stress is also a trigger for chronic pain flares, there are definitely implications here for the chronic pain community. 

Of course, there is always the fear that doctors will take too much from studies like this, and will use the results as a reason to deny patients treatments like medication. 

Ideally though, this type of research will instead be used to broaden the treatment options for various health conditions, offering the possibility to pair non-traditional treatments like hypnosis with more traditional options like pain medication. 

If a treatment works and it’s accessible, then it’s worth trying — even if that treatment is hypnosis.