University of Washington researchers say a six-week hypnotic cognitive therapy program, delivered entirely by phone or Zoom, significantly cut chronic pain for people living with spinal cord injuries. In a randomized trial of 127 adults, average self-reported pain dropped about 19% by the end of treatment and roughly 24.5% by the 12-week follow-up, and participants also reported better sleep and fewer depressive symptoms, suggesting the approach may do more than just nudge pain scores down.
Study and publication
In a single-blind randomized trial, researchers assigned 127 community-residing adults with moderate-to-severe chronic spinal cord injury pain to either hypnotic cognitive therapy (HYP-CT) or usual care, with outcomes assessed four times a week and a primary endpoint at six weeks. As reported in Neurology, HYP-CT involved six 60-minute weekly sessions with a psychologist conducted by phone or Zoom, along with self-hypnosis practice using recordings from those sessions. The Neurology paper found that people receiving HYP-CT had larger reductions in average pain intensity at both six and 12 weeks compared with those who continued with usual care alone.
How the therapy worked for participants
According to UW Medicine, therapist M. Elena Mendoza guided patients into a deeply relaxed but focused state, explored unhelpful beliefs they held about their pain, and offered suggestions designed to reinforce more adaptive ways of thinking. Patients then used session recordings to practice self-hypnosis three times a day. In the HYP-CT group, average pain scores dropped from about 6.0 to 4.83 at six weeks and to 4.52 at 12 weeks, while scores in the usual care group stayed close to baseline. The UW Medicine release also notes that 90% of treated patients said they were satisfied with the therapy, and nearly half reported a clinically meaningful reduction in pain.
Why clinicians are paying attention
Senior author Mark P. Jensen told the Spokesman-Review that the treatment's side-effect profile and the staying power of its benefits make it an appealing alternative to medications that come with heavier risks. The Neurology report also notes that the remote format, delivered by phone or Zoom, worked just as well as in-person approaches, an important detail for clinics trying to scale up low-risk options. Clinicians and patients are paying attention because this intervention combines cognitive restructuring with a nonpharmacologic tool that does not rely on a prescription pad.
Limitations and next steps
The authors caution that this is a single randomized trial and say larger studies in more diverse populations are needed before HYP-CT can be considered standard care. The study is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov, which lists recruitment dates and eligibility criteria, and the research received support from the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation, per UW Medicine. Investigators say they are now exploring additional digital and telehealth delivery models to make the therapy more widely available if future results back up these early findings.
Practical takeaway for patients
Experts emphasize that clinical hypnosis is a structured therapeutic technique, not the stage act people may remember from TV, and that it should be provided by licensed, properly trained professionals, according to the American Psychological Association. Anyone interested in HYP-CT is advised to talk with their physician about referrals to credentialed clinicians who are experienced in evidence-based hypnosis protocols.
