Hypnotic Relaxation Therapy Found to Improve Sexual Health in Postmenopausal Women

A new study has found that the sexual health in postmenopausal women suffering from moderate to severe hot flashes can be improved thanks to hypnotic relaxation therapies. Gary Elkins, Ph.D., director of Baylor's Mind-Body Medicine Research Laboratory and a professor of psychology and neuroscience in Baylor's College of Arts and Sciences, said that the study, which examined sexual comfort, sexual satisfaction and sexual pleasure, is a first step toward a safe and effective alternative toward hormone replacement therapy, which carries associated risks of cancer and heart disease.

The conclusion was based on a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.

lead researcher Aimee Johnson, a doctoral student in psychology and neuroscience at Baylor University, said that for the study, 187 women were randomly assigned to receive either five weekly sessions of hypnotic relaxation therapy or supportive counselling.

Led by researchers at Baylor's Mind-Body Medicine Research Laboratory, all study sessions were conducted by master's-level therapists trained in clinical hypnosis.

Participants in the hypnotic relaxation therapy group received a hypnotic induction followed by suggestions for relaxation, coolness and mental imagery. Participants who received sessions of supportive counseling discussed their symptoms with a trained therapist but did not receive any hypnosis.

Women completed questionnaires at the beginning of the study, at the end of treatment and at a 12-week follow-up. They also were asked to complete a self-report questionnaire assessing the extent to which hot flashes interfered with sexual intimacy.

The decrease in estrogen that accompanies menopause is associated with hot flashes, night sweats, weight gain and vaginal dryness, discomfort or pain.

Elkins said that the most common complaints are being too tired, anxiety, depression, hot flashes and the fear of close contact, as warmth coming from closeness can trigger hot flash, some women grow to fear intimacy.

At treatment's end, women who received hypnotic relaxation therapy reported significantly higher sexual satisfaction and pleasure, as well as less discomfort.

Source-ANI