Full Title: Women's views regarding hypnosis for the control of surgical pain in the context of a randomized clinical trial

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess women's satisfaction with a hypnotic intervention for anxiety and pain management during a pregnancy-terminating procedure. METHODS: Women (N = 350) scheduled for first-trimester surgical abortion were randomly assigned to standard care or to a short, standardized hypno-analgesia intervention before and during the procedure. We assessed their individual use of the various hypnotic strategies proposed during the intervention and their views (likes/dislikes) about the hypnotic intervention, the pregnancy termination experience, and their participation in this randomized study. RESULTS: Mental imagery of a secure place was the strategy used by most women (71%) in the hypnosis group, but a significant proportion of them also used dissociation (42%) and focal analgesia (39%). Advantages of hypnosis over standard care were found in the patients' report that they could resume their normal activities right after being discharged from the hospital (72% in hypnosis vs. 56% in control group) and in their appreciation of the accompaniment (hypnotherapist vs. nurse) provided during the procedure (97% in hypnosis vs. 56% in control group). Among those who received hypnosis, 97% affirmed that they would recommend hypnosis to a friend for a similar procedure. More than 98% in both groups indicated they would again volunteer to participate in a study evaluating hypnosis for pain management. CONCLUSIONS: Women in the hypnosis group generally reported higher levels of satisfaction with various aspects of the procedure. This is consistent with the growing literature in favor of hypnotic interventions to improve pain management and care.

J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2009 Sep;18(9):1441-7. Marc I, Rainville P, Masse B, Dufresne A, Verreault R, Vaillancourt L, Dodin S. Department of Pediatrics, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de l'Universite Laval, Université Laval, Quebec, Canada. Isabelle.Marc@crsfa.ulaval.ca

'Ayurveda' is an ancient system of healthcare that is native to India. At present, in India, there are more than 240 colleges that offer a graduate-level degree (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery-BAMS) in Ayurveda. Even though the Central Council of Indian Medicine, the governing body that monitors the matters related to Ayurveda education, has imposed various educational norms and regulations, the standard of education has been a cause of concern in recent years. The mushrooming of substandard Ayurvedic colleges is the most important factor that is being held responsible for this kind of erosion in the standards. The present study is a mailed survey, which was carried out to evaluate the 'Extent of exposure to basic clinical skills during BAMS course' as perceived by the sample groups of students and teachers drawn from 32 Ayurvedic educational institutions spread all over India. A methodically validated questionnaire was used as the tool in the study, to which 1022 participants responded. The study indicates that there are some serious flaws in the existing system of the graduate-level Ayurveda education. Since the Ayurvedic graduates play an important role in the primary healthcare delivery system of the country, governing bodies are required to take necessary steps to ensure the adequate exposure of the students to basic clinical skills. Along with the strict implementation of all the regulatory norms during the process of recognition of the colleges, introducing some changes in the policy model may also be required to tackle the situation.

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2009 Aug 17. Patwardhan K, Gehlot S, Singh G, Rathore HC. Department of Kriya Sharir, Faculty of Ayurveda, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India. patwardhan.kishor@gmail.com.