Attitudes towards an Online Hypnosis Intervention for Migraine A Qualitative Study

Abstract

This study performed a retrospective analysis of participants’ feelings towards their migraines during a 6-week online hypnosis intervention. The initial intervention was a randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving 43 participants. It examined the development and evaluation of an online hypnosis programme for the treatment of migraine. In the treatment group there was a 48% reduction in mean Headache Disability Index (HDI) score and a 60% reduction in mean Pain Catastrophizing Score (PCS) demonstrating that an online hypnosis intervention is effective in reducing headache symptoms in migraine sufferers. On completion of the RCT a subset of 14 participants from the treatment group were interviewed and filled out a questionnaire. Common themes were identified from their responses. Relaxation was identified as an important element in controlling migraines, with 65% of participants feeling more relaxed after listening to the mp3s. They also noted a change in thought patterns with a shift away from controlling or stopping migraines to managing migraines. This study has demonstrated for the first time that hypnosis delivered online is an effective method for altering participants’ thoughts towards their migraines, enabling them to feel more in control and able to manage their migraines.