Positive suggestion techniques in somatic medicine: A review of the empirical studies

Abstract

Introduction: THERE IS AN EVER REOCCURRING QUESTION IN MEDICAL PRACTICE: Does the positive attitude and communication of the medical staff make any difference?

Aim: Our aim is to present a comprehensive overview of the medically relevant effects of positive suggestions by reviewing the recent literature.

Methods: We will review the studies measuring the effects of suggestive communication of the past 20 years. In cases of studies presented in more details we quote from the suggestion scripts used in the study, too.

Results: Some of the reviewed papers report that positive suggestions lead to decreased pain and use of pain medication and positively affect physiological factors like bowel motility, blood pressure and bleeding during surgery as well. However, the literature also contains studies in which only partial or no positive effects were found.

Conclusions: We emphasize further, more detailed investigation of positive suggestion techniques and its integration into the education of medical professionals.

Keywords: controlled clinical studies; hypnosis; medical communication; positive communication; positive suggestions; therapeutic suggestions.