Papers of the Week

While the prevalence of pain increases with age, too much medication can lead to negative side effects. Complementary approaches, such as clinical hypnosis, could be relevant in pain management. While evidence in the literature has shown that clinical hypnosis is effective in child and adult populations, there have been few studies in aging populations. Furthermore, the feasibility and effectiveness of clinical hypnosis in preventive home care in elderly populations with pain have never been established. The goal of this within-subject study was to determine the feasibility and the effects of three 15-min hypnosis sessions delivered during home care interventions over a 12-week period in 15 elderly women with chronic pain (mean age, 81 years; range, 65-87 years).