The use of more than one therapy at the same time, also referred to as combined therapy, has been recognized worldwide as an effective technique in the treatment of various illnesses where therapeutic interventions have proved helpful. For instance, it has been determined that hypnotherapy can be used along with cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy to treat patients with anxiety disorders. This approach has better outcomes than those that do not involve the use of hypnosis. Some studies have shown that hypnotherapy can be combined with other types of therapies in the treatment of patients with type 2 Diabetes and other cardiovascular disorders. Results from these researches show that a combined therapeutic approach is more effective than when a single technique is used.
A research conducted by Bay & Bay (2011) examined the effect of using hypnosis with other types of therapies such as acupressure and transcendental meditation (TM) in reducing blood sugar levels (BS) in type 2 patients. The results from this study were compared with a placebo treatment in which a single therapy was used. The researchers also examined whether factors like age, sex, and duration of disease had a significant influence on the efficacy of a combined therapy on reducing BS level. In this study, hypnotherapy was used to induce hypnotic suggestions and relation, acupressure for the stimulation of the islets of Langerhans’ nerve cells in the pancreas, and TM for relaxation. It is believed that acupuncture can help in the activation of the liver, hence leading to enhanced digestion and reduced incidences of diabetic retinopathy. The activation mechanism depends on a patient’s subconscious mind, which makes hypnotic suggestions important in the whole process.
The researchers determined that the combined therapy was more effective in reducing BS than placebo. Variables like age, sex, and duration of the disease did not influence the outcome of the study. Minimum BS level was noticed in the post-test exercise. At the follow-up test, it was noticed that the BS levels of the patients had slightly increased though the increase was not significant. Compared to the pre-test and the follow-up test levels, the post-test levels were the lowest.
Similarly, Nugraha et al. (2018) studied the effects of hypnosis and acupressure as a combined therapy on patients suffering from cardiovascular disorders. The hypno-pressure interventions were administered to the selected patients by trained nurses. The exercise began with pre-test measures which involved measuring the anxiety levels of patients in both the intervention and control groups. The treatment group was then taken through the therapy in two different sessions while the control group only received motivation and health education. Post-test measures were then carried out on both the groups. The results indicated that there was a significant decrease on anxiety levels among the patients who were taken through the combined therapy. The results of this study were in line with past research findings that confirmed that hypnotherapy combined with other therapies led to a significant reduction in stress levels.
Studies involving hypnosis and acupressure often make use of the mind and the nerve pathway. Positive affirmations are given to participants in different sessions of hypnotherapy to help in the activation of the subconscious mind. Acupressure helps in stimulating the central nervous system through the peripheral nerves. This mechanism leads to the release of hormones that induce sleep and relaxation, hence helping in the healing process. Thus, these studies confirm that combined therapy can be more effective in ameliorating the symptoms of various health conditions than when single therapies are used. The effectiveness of hypnosis when used together with other types of treatment methods like cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy is also documented in past literature.
References
Bay, R., & Bay, F. (2011). Combined therapy using acupressure therapy, hypnotherapy, and transcendental meditation versus placebo in type 2 diabetes. Journal of acupuncture and meridian studies, 4(3), 183-186.
Nugraha, D. A., Pujiastuti, S. E., Widiyanto, B., & Anwar, C. (2018). EFFECT OF HYPNO-PRESSURE ON ANXIETY IN PATIENTS WITH CARDIOVASCULAR DISORDER. Belitung Nursing Journal, 4(1), 39-44.
Melvin S. Marsh is a certified life coach and hypnotherapist serving Atlanta GA, Augusta GA, Statesboro GA, and Savannah GA. He performs hypnotherapy and life coaching appointments both in person and worldwide virtually. He can be reached at www.afterhourshypnotherapy.com .
