Although the evidence is clear that
hypnosis has been an effective treatment for recurrent
headaches in children, review of the literature revealed no previous reports of
hypnosis for youth with the condition of
chronic daily headache. Two adolescents with continuing
chronic daily headaches were taught
self-hypnosis through careful attention to individual strengths and finding the
hypnotic elements within the clinical encounters. Self-reports of intensity, frequency, and duration of
headaches described substantial benefit from learning and practicing
self-hypnosis after little to no benefit from pharmacologic and other nonpharmacologic
therapies. These results and analogous success with several other adolescents with
chronic daily headache support the further use of
self-hypnosis training for this condition. As a self-regulation technique that is quickly and easily learned by most young people,
self-hypnosis training holds considerable promise for effectively treating and perhaps preventing
chronic daily headaches in children and adolescents.