Relief in Dental Pain by Hypnosis - Research Paper Example

Relief in Dental Pain by Hypnosis I.D. of the Relief in Dental Pain by Hypnosis Introduction Background Therapeutic hypnosis has a long history. However, there are various branches of hypnosis due to the fact that different hypnotic techniques are applied for different therapeutic reasons. For example, hypnosis can be used to create compulsion for dissociating an individual from a habit. In this way, individuals are helped to tackle problems due to addictions (like smoking) and bad habits (like overeating). But hypnosis can still be used in a very wide spectrum of medical situations. In this paper, therapeutic hypnosis for dental treatment will be scrutinized and analyzed. Previous Research As early as in the Imperial Germany, hypnosis used to be used extensively in medical therapy for dealing with complaints like migraine, trauma, and even toothache (Wolffram 2012). During the beginning of 20th century, hypnosis was a well known psychosomatic intervention for relieving patients if not curing them. With the lapse of time, more research and laboratory experiments have refined hypnosis as a therapeutic tool. With the help of deeper knowledge and new technologies, hypno-dissociative strategies have become rather popular in the 21st century, especially when relief from pain, anxiety and trauma is needed. Dental treatment has been a prime area of interest in this field of study, because several persons with dental problems have been reported to be anxious and nervous toward problems like toothache. While applying dental treatment techniques such as the root canal treatment (RCT), dentists are now exploring the possibility of deploying hypno-dissociative methods to relieve pain and anxiety. This is particularly helpful for those patients who suffer from a chronic phobia toward dental treatment and the pain associated with it (Meyerson and Uziel 2014). Much earlier, researchers probably had not emphasized the use of dissociative techniques derived from or in association with hypnosis. For example, Katcher et al (1984) reported that hypnosis has no extraneous benefit in comparison with simple relaxation and diversion techniques. Yet, it is undeniable that even the critics of hypnosis have not been able to completely rule out its benefits with regard to pain management. Maxillo-facial and orodental treatment regimens (especially where surgical applications are involved) can be conducted with the assistance of hypnosis induced diversion and pain-relief. Patients suffering from even an acute stage of orodental pain have been reportedly benefited by implementing hypnosis (Jerjes et al 2007). However, there is still a gap of knowledge while exploring that whether hypnosis can be helpful in relieving chronic dental pain. Instead of applying hypnosis for anesthetic use, can the technique be utilized for prolonged usage in chronic pain scenarios too? Innovative research work might be necessary for answering this question. Hypothesis Hypnosis is an effective method for relieving chronic, preoperative, or postoperative dental pain. Methods Participants of the Experiment First of all, contact must be established with leading dental hospitals and dentists. Patients reportedly having chronic pain (especially in postoperative scenario) must be enquired about. At least 15 to 20 patients should be selected for the experiment. This can be done by telephoning and/or contacting in random with those patients whom the dentists inform about to the experimenter. The experiment must be carried out in a controlled environment. Dental pain is generally annoying, recurring, and disturbing. Therefore, the participants will need at least a few hypnotic induction sessions everyday. So hypnosis can be conducted on each participant at least thrice daily. Moreover, the experimenter must not take too much time to obtain in-depth statistics. If progressive dental pain is reported, the participant should be released from the experiment immediately to see a dentist. Consequently, the experimenter will have hardly around 5 days to complete the experiment. It is likely not possible that all the patients suffering from postoperative chronic dental pain will give a positive response to the experimenter’s query. Instead of seeing the doctor again, patients might not like to participate in a hypnosis related experiment. Therefore, a large sampling has to be carried out. Potential participants can be invited by making telephone calls or sending emails, as the case may be. Selection of the Participants The participants must be suffering from dental pain (preferably in postoperative condition). They should be adults capable of making informed decisions. With the help of local dentists and/or dental hospitals, patients suffering from chronic pain can be contacted. However, there will be at least some attrition on the part of the participants. So after beginning with 20 participants, the experiment may end up with 10 to 12 participants only. Results Expected Results Aside from serious cases, most of the patients are likely to experience pain relief. If in postoperative conditions dental pain keeps on increasing (and after a few days that pain is reported to be unbearable), then that is not the fault with hypnosis. This will most likely happen if and only if the dental operation was conducted in a flawed manner or if more complications went undiagnosed before surgery. In normal conditions, however, postoperative dental pain may subside gradually on its own. Therefore, the main challenge will be relieving the painful condition as quickly as possible. That is why the experimenter should expect that hypnosis will be able to alleviate post operative dental pain much before the set deadline of 5 days. If this happens with most of the participants, then the hypothesis can be assumed to be correct in the context of the experiment carried out. See Table – 1 for detailed expected results. Table -1 Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Comments Participant1 High pain High pain Less pain No pain No pain Participant2 High pain High pain leaves Participant3 High pain High pain High pain leaves Participant4 High pain High pain leaves Participant5 High pain High pain Less pain No pain No pain Participant6 High pain High pain Less pain Less pain No pain Participant7 High pain High pain Less pain Less pain Less pain Participant8 High pain High pain Less pain Less pain No pain Participant9 High pain High pain Less pain Less pain No pain Participant10 High pain High pain Less pain Less pain No pain Participant11 High pain High pain Less pain Less pain No pain Participant12 High pain High pain High pain leaves Participant13 High pain High pain High pain leaves Participant14 High pain High pain High pain Less pain No pain Participant15 High pain High pain High pain Less pain No pain Expected results for hypnosis experiment on 15 patients suffering from postoperative dental pain. Feedback on the degree of pain relief is divided into three categories: (1) High pain, (2) Less pain, and (3) No pain. The feedback is collected daily after three sessions of hypnosis. Effects of IV on DV There are two independent variables (IV): Number of days and number of hypnosis sessions. The dependent variable (DV) is the degree or feeling of pain. Three values have been assigned to this variable. These are high pain, less pain, and no pain. IV has profound effect on DV. Discussion Summary of the Expected Results Although in most cases postoperative dental pain is supposed to subside on its own, the target is to see whether the experimenter can give rapid pain relief with the help of hypnosis. Hence, if the number of hypnosis sessions undergone is put as N and if the degree of dental pain is put as P, then the result expected is N is inversely proportional to P. However, measurement of P will be based on patient specific understanding of pain, where the experimenter cannot superimpose any predefined measurement techniques. Hypothesis Testing Hypothesis is likely to be established once the data obtained by the experiment is analyzed with the help of inferential statistics. Hence, role of hypnosis to relieve toothache is going to be verified along with its potential to relieve chronic pain too. Expected Results and Previous Findings The biggest drawback of the experiment is that many patients might stop participating in the research if their dental pain conditions worsen. Hence, participant attrition may become a very serious concern. Not only that, those who continue with the experiment may feel that their dental pain would normally go away within a week or two. However, hypnosis must have a quicker effect so that that normal relief of pain can be differentiated with respect to hypnotic relief of pain. This is going to be a major innovation and may not fit well with the previous studies conducted. If the experiment is successful and the hypothesis is established, then hypnosis can be postulated as a means of rapid relief from chronic pain. The previous findings are similar but quite different. For example, Jerjes et al (2007) have shown that hypnosis can provide relief in acute dental pain conditions. Katcher et al (1984) were one of the pioneers who studied effects of hypnosis in the realm of modern dentistry. According to the authors, hypnosis can be used to control anxiety and discomfort as well. Therefore, the basic understanding behind the expected results will reinforce several concepts that have already been previously established. References Jerjes, W., Hopper, C., Kumar, M., Upile, T., Madland, G., Newman, S., and Feinmann, C. (2007). Psychological intervention in acute dental pain: Review. British Dental Journal, 202, 337-343. Katcher, A., Segal, H. and Beck, A. (1984). Comparison of contemplation and hypnosis for the reduction of anxiety and discomfort during dental surgery. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, 27, 14-21 Meyerson, J. and Uziel, N. (2014). Application of hypno-dissociative strategies during dental treatment of patients with severe dental phobia. The International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 63 (2) Wolffram, H. (2012). “An Object of Vulgar Curiosity”: Legitimizing Medical Hypnosis in Imperial Germany. Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences, 67 (1) Read More