Seth Roth,



Thank you for this article. Can you possibly post the web link where you
found this?



Much appreciated,

Vrisayda



_____

From: InternationalHypnosisFederation@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:InternationalHypnosisFederation@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of SETH
ROTH
Sent: Friday, May 15, 2009 6:37 AM
To: sdr-medical hypnosis
Cc: sleepwalkers
Subject: [InternationalHypnosisFederation] Article on Hypnotherapy &
Ulcerative Colitis









Enjoy

Hypnotherapy Boosts Quality Of Life And Health For Ulcerative Colitis
Patients

(May 15, 2009) - One of Laurie Keefer's patients was afraid to be a
bridesmaid in a friend's wedding, others worried about traveling with the
boss or even going to parties in peoples' homes.

The patients have ulcerative colitis, a nasty gastrointestinal disease that
flares without warning and makes it vital for them to find a bathroom fast.
The disease is often diagnosed when people are in their late 20s and early
30s. The flare-up is like having a severe stomach bug that can drag on for
weeks. It ruins vacation plans, causes lengthy absences from work and
generally messes up peoples' lives at a time when they are trying to build
careers and meet a romantic partner or marry.

But some of Keefer's patients are less fearful these days and starting to
embrace activities they once avoided. They've been taking part in a new
National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded research study to test whether
hypnotherapy can extend the time between their flare-ups. Currently, the
treatments for ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease, include a
fistful of pills -- up to a cumbersome 12 a day that reduce the risk of
flares but that many forget to take, as well as steroids or surgery to
remove their colon.

In an early look at the data for the ongoing study, Keefer, a clinical
health psychologist and an assistant professor of medicine at the
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, is finding that
treatment with hypnotherapy enabled some subjects' to socialize more and get
involved in activities such as eating at restaurants, exercising and road
trips. Some subjects feel less impaired by their disease and are better at
remembering to take their pills.

The patient who was afraid to stand up at a friend's wedding is now going to
be a bridesmaid. The patient who was nervous about getting on a plane with
the boss is now taking business trips with him.

The study will be enrolling a total of 80 patients over three years and will
track the progress of each patient for one year. Thus far, 27 subjects have
enrolled in the study and completed the required eight weeks of hypnotherapy
sessions. As a part of the study, subjects also listen to special relaxation
tapes up to five times per week.

While it's too early in the study to know if the hypnotherapy has prolonged
their remissions, only two of 12 subjects who have participated in the study
for a full year have experienced a relapse, whereas based on their history,
all 12 subjects would have been expected to have had two or more relapses
within the year.

"These numbers are encouraging because the study specifically targets
individuals who flare a couple times a year," Keefer said. Subjects are also
expected to take their routine maintenance medication during the trial.

Keefer presented her findings recently at the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation
of America's 13th Annual Medical Symposium and 14th Annual Patient and
Family Conference in Chicago.

The goal of the trial is to see if hypnotherapy can help subjects learn to
manage their stress and develop a sense of control over their health,
explained Keefer, who is director of the Center for Psychosocial Research in
Intestinal Bowel Disease at Northwestern's Feinberg School.

"Managing stress is really important for managing inflammatory bowel
disease," Keefer said. "We see young adults about to get married, pregnant
women, people worried about losing their jobs in this difficult economy. The
body doesn't differentiate between good stress and bad stress. When people
are under stress, their disease flares up."

In the experimental hypnosis sessions, Keefer suggests to subjects that they
closely monitor their stress and be aware of how it's affecting them. "If
they're not getting enough sleep, part of the hypnosis is encouraging them
to know this is a trigger and make an effort to take naps and take it
easier, " she said. "I also tell them your body can detect slight changes in
stress and can adapt easily and not be affected."

The key issue is how confident subjects feel in their ability to manage
their disease. "There is quite a bit of data in a variety of diseases that
shows people who have a higher sense of control over their health feel
better and have fewer symptoms than people who don't," Keefer said. "This is
a proactive approach."

Keefer said the trial is one of the few NIH-funded behavioral studies for
inflammatory bowel disease, which affects between 250,000 to 500,000 people
in the U.S.

Her preliminary data on the overall quality of life for 27 subjects after
eight weeks of hypnotherapy showed that 80 percent of them reported an
increased belief that they could affect and manage their disease versus 50
percent of subjects in standard care (no hypnotherapy.) In addition,
subjects reported a 76 percent increase in the quality of their lives (the
improvements were most notable in their bowel symptoms) compared to a 25
percent increase for standard care. In another measure, 73 percent of the
subjects experienced a general improvement in their health and well being
compared to a 25 percent increase for standard care.

"The preliminary results on the improved quality of life for the 27 subjects
in this ongoing study (aiming for a total of 80 subjects) look positive so
far," Keefer said.

Once the eight weeks of hypnotherapy are completed, subjects are expected to
listen to the relaxation tapes or practice relaxation twice a week to
maintain the benefits. They are also encouraged to "step up their practice"
of relaxation tapes if they think they are at risk for a flare, Keefer said.

Currently the treatment for the disease is a maintenance medication called
5-ASA. "The problem is most people forget to take the full dose," Keefer
said. If that doesn't work steroids are often the next treatment, but
long-term use can cause joint problems and other side effects such as
anxiety and insomnia. When doctors try to taper the patient off steroids,
symptoms tend to flare again.

Adapted from materials provided by Northwestern University,

Seth-Deborah Roth CRNA,CCHt,CI
www.hypnotherapyforhealth.com
read my blog at www.hypnotichealth.blogspot.com
as seen on the "MythBusters"

www.sethdeborahroth.isagenix.com





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