Trance states have taken different forms in different cultures, but have been considered one of the healing arts since time immemorial. Today, therapeutic hypnosis is a highly personalized, scientifically-proven treatment option that is utilized by doctors, dentists, psychotherapists and certified lay practitioners to treat a wide spectrum of symptoms and conditions. In the 20th century, hypnosis was initially legitimized by the medical community when it was recognized as a tool for the management of pain. In 1958, hypnosis was approved by the American Medical Association as the first complementary technique to be used for pain control without risk. It has since replaced anaesthesia for various dental, dermatological and other minor procedures.
Obstetricians use it for drug-free pain relief during childbirth.
It is employed to ease the pain of migraines, arthritis and chronic back pain. And in 1996, a National Institutes for Health assessment panel recommended that therapeutic hypnosis be considered a valid medical treatment for any chronic pain and be reimbursed by insurance companies as fully as other interventions. Proponents say that hypnosis not only relieves pain but promotes healing. Patients who are hypnotized prior to surgery go home earlier, heal faster and require less pain medication. Surgeons and anaesthesiologists are actually utilizing it in the operating room for more rapid, complete recovery.