Case Study Explores Hypnosis as Potential Treatment For Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms

Patricia Silva, PhD avatar

by Patricia Silva, PhD |

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Two Dragons Hypnotherapy recently announced the results of a one-year case study that assessed the effects of hypnotherapyĀ on a patient with multiple sclerosis (MS) named Kristen. Case studies such as these, while not enough to establish new scientific conclusions on how to effectively treat a disease such as MS, add to a growing number of novel therapeutic approaches that are gaining more and more attention among patients.

At age 24, Kristen noticed that her vision started to become blurry, leading herĀ to do a check-up at the optometrist.Ā The doctor thought at firstĀ she had optic neuritis, a nerve disorder widely known as the first sign of MS.Ā ā€œI said, ‘Oh my God,’ā€ Kristen explainedĀ inĀ a recent news release about the case study. ā€œThatā€™s when I started to freak out.ā€

MS affects about 350,000 people in the United States and can cause loss of hearing, blindness, and paralysis. Unfortunately, the only available medications currentlyĀ for MS only treat symptoms and not the underlying cause.

In her efforts to learn more about treatment options, Kristen began researching Mind Body Medicine (MBM). MBM therapies like hypnosis, yoga, and acupuncture have been acknowledged as potential treatment resources, with NIH-funded studies showing that MBM therapies are successfulĀ in improving patients’ pain intensity, quality of life and anxiety forĀ many diseases.

Kristen eventually met Cynthia Chauvin, a hypnotherapist in Northern Virginia who has been using hypnosis as a therapy for over ten years, and whoĀ wanted to assessĀ the efficacy of the technique.Ā ā€œIā€™ve been interested in seeing if hypnosis could be used to help someone literally heal themselves,ā€ explained Chauvin in the news release. ā€œBut it needed to be the right person.ā€

Chauvin felt that for her to explore hypnosis to treat medical conditions, she had to find a patient who would truly believe in the potential of the technique, and Kristen was the ideal candidate.

Kristen suffers from relapsing remitting MS, however, doctors told her that she will likely reach progressive MS. To delay her symptoms’ progression, she wanted toĀ try hypnosis.

In hypnotherapy,Ā the therapist uses the power of hypnosisĀ to ā€œsuggestā€ behaviors in patientsĀ for comedic effect.Ā ā€œSing in Martian, believe that a belt is a snake or fall in love with a complete stranger,ā€ said Chauvin. ā€œItā€™s all in good fun. But itā€™s also a clue as to whatā€™s possible.ā€

The therapist also helps the patient to un-learn negative behaviors, such as a smoking habit. Chauvin calls her technique ā€œtrance-based learning.ā€

In the first session, Kristenā€™s MS symptoms included aĀ sandpapery feel in her hands and numbness. OverĀ six sessions, Chauvin put Kristen in a trance, and then “suggested” that her body repair the connections that MS has destroyed.

ā€œWeā€™re visualizing building bridges and getting the body and nerves talking again, something that multiple sclerosis literally interferes with,ā€ explained Chauvin. ā€œI donā€™t think this is just about changing her body to a relaxed state; I suspect weā€™re actually re-wiring her system on some level.ā€

ā€œI donā€™t talk about the malady at all,ā€ said Chauvin. ā€œThe entire session is about connectivity, working with Kristenā€™s deepest innate abilities and letting her body do the rest. I never use the words healing, it infers disease. I only refer to the body establishing a healthy balance on a cellular level.ā€

Chauvin clarified in the news release that the sessions are quite simple: ā€œI put her into a deep relaxed state and using a basic structure I have developed, I improvise the session from that point.ā€

Mind-body medicine techniques are now recognized to have a positive effect onĀ some diseases, with prestigious research centers such as Georgetown University and Harvard University launching programs on the mind-body connection. The National Institutes for Health is also actively supporting complementary medicine investigations.

ā€œSince its establishment 16 years ago, the center has funded thousands of important research projects. Without this work, the American public would lack vital information on the safety and effectiveness of many practices and products that are widely used and readily available,ā€ said NIH Director Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D. in the news release.

After two sessions of hypnotherapy, Kristen noted that the sandpapery feel in herĀ hands had vanished, with an MRI performed after 12 weeks showing the lesions in her brain had gone from severeĀ to a stable state.

Kristen attributes the positive symptoms’ delay to Chauvinā€™s work.Ā ā€œIā€™m a lot more grounded, not as much mind chatter,ā€ she said. ā€œThings donā€™t bother me as much as they used to. Iā€™ve reduced my stress level, and I donā€™t react the same way to things, my body doesnā€™t react the same way.ā€

Chauvin is now using hypnosis onĀ other patients with chronic conditions, and according to her, the results so far have beenĀ impressive. Although there is no scientific evidence, which would require large randomized trials, the fact that Kristen’sĀ symptoms went from a daily frequency to absentĀ is evidence of theĀ potential of the therapy’s effectiveness.Ā ā€œI would recommend Cynthia for any physical ailment youā€™re trying to move past,ā€ said Kristen in the news release. ā€œEspecially if youā€™ve been told you have something chronic and incurable. Before you get stuck in that mindset, I would definitely recommend Cynthiaā€™s work with hypnotherapy because I think it will make a big difference.ā€

ā€œThose that believe they can be healed, can be healed,ā€Ā said Chauvin.Ā Kristen continues to be treated atĀ Two Dragons Hypnotherapy and she is also underĀ care ofĀ aĀ neurologist.