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Self-Guided Hypnosis Significantly Reduces Menopausal Hot Flashes, JAMA Study Finds

The peer-reviewed, sham-controlled trial found that a six-week, 20-minute daily audio routine outperformed a white-noise placebo.

Overview

  • Among 250 postmenopausal women, hot flash scores dropped 53.4% with self-hypnosis versus 40.9% with white noise after six weeks.
  • Participants using hypnosis reported a 49.3% reduction in symptom interference with daily life and greater perceived benefit than controls (90.3% vs 64.3%).
  • At the three-month follow-up, the hypnosis group sustained a 60.9% reduction in hot flashes compared with 40.9% in the control group.
  • Nearly one-quarter of participants had a history of breast cancer, and they experienced an even larger reduction with hypnosis at six weeks (64%).
  • The intervention used self-administered daily audio with relaxation and cooling imagery against a white-noise sham, and researchers characterized it as a safe, non-pharmacological option.