Hot flashes are a major symptom of menopause and are experienced by an estimated 85% of women approaching menopause.   A new study from the Baylor University has shown that women who specifically pictured images associated with coolness during hypnotherapy had a dramatic decrease in hot flashes.

Experts say they can literally change the way the brain receives signals from the body and from the outside world.  “For instance, hypnosis can suggest to the brain that it should tamp down its sensitivity to heat; when it does just that, women with hot flasheshave an altered perception of their body temperature”, says David Spiegel, MD, associate chair of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and medical director of the Stanford Center for Integrated Medicine.

Hot flashes are also a problem for many menopausal women with a common side effect of breast cancer treatment.  In a recent study funded by the National Cancer Institute and NCCAM, 51 women completed a 5-week study that consisted of  weekly 50-minute sessions plus instructions for at-home self-hypnosis. 

The results were a 68% reduction in self-reported hot flash frequency/severity and an average of 4.39 fewer hot flashes per day.  They also reported significant improvements in self-reported anxiety, depression, interference with daily activities, and sleep.