In the treatment of migraine headaches, hypnosis has been proven to be highly effective. Hypnotherapy should be used, however, in cases that have been screened by a thorough physical examination to establish the diagnosis.

Pain is often a warning signal, a symptom of an underlying disorder that needs to be treated. Therefore, in all cases involving the management of pain -- chronic as well as acute -- a medical referral should precede hypnotherapy. Hypnosis should be used only when there is certainty that there is no underlying organic disorder.

During a migraine attack, the blood vessels in the head dilate, and the blood vessels in the hands contract. Normal hand temperature is about 90 degrees; migraine sufferers may have a hand temperature as low as 70 degrees.

Using self-hypnosis and visualization techniques, a number of test subjects at the Menninger Clinic were able to increase their hand temperatures by fifteen to twenty degrees. This redistribution of the blood resulted in fewer migraine attacks and less severe headaches.

The migraine sufferer is taught to use self-hypnosis as soon as there are indications of a pending headache. This approach, supplemented with a series of personalized sessions, has proven to be helpful for many clients.

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