Hypnosis in the treatment of chronic pain.

Chronic pain can be treated by combining hypnosis with brief psychotherapy. Hypnosis alone, though useful for acute pain, is seldom effective in relieving chronic pain because it does not address the significant psychologic components in the patient's illness. Treatment using self-hypnosis in conjunction with brief psychotherapy, however, can enable the patient to recognize these components, to change from a passive to an active role in achieving relief, and to modify his attitude toward the pain. This procedure can both reduce suffering and lead the patient to deemphasize pain in his life.