A Baylor University professor is hoping his research on hypnotic relaxation will provide the scientific proof needed to launch the therapy into mainstream acceptance.

Just like people in almost any city can schedule a massage or buy herbal remedies at the drugstore, Gary Elkins envisions patients someday being able to get a boxed hypnosis toolkit.

Ideally, patients would learn to use the kit under the supervision of a doctor or therapist, Elkins said. But the idea is for it to include written and multimedia materials that would let people take advantage of the deep relaxation technique. Right now, the therapy is available on a limited scale because of a lack of professionals trained in it, he said.

“The goal is to empower the individual,” said Elkins, who is a clinical psychologist.

Elkins is the head of the Mind-Body Medicine Research Laboratory. A part of Baylor University, it is located in a converted house in a cozy campus neighborhood.

The purpose of the lab, started in 2006, is to study “mind-body medicine.” That refers to techniques designed to improve the mind’s capability to affect physical symptoms and functions. Such techniques include everything from patient support groups to art therapy.

Elkins said he hopes someday to expand his research to look at whether mind-body techniques like prayer can improve people’s immune systems. But for now, he is focused on hypnotic relaxation.

Elkins is conducting a study that is trying to determine whether hypnosis can decrease the frequency and severity of hot flashes in post-menopausal women. The sudden heat sensations can be a serious matter for sufferers. Common associated problems include extreme sweating, red face, interrupted sleep and anxiety.

Elkins became interested in the research area several years ago after a national study found that hormone replacement therapy used to alleviate the condition poses a number of risks.

Plus, Elkins knew there was a need for alternative treatments for breast cancer survivors. Medications they take can cause severe hot flashes, but they are advised not to use hormone therapy because it increases the chance of cancer recurrence, he said.

Elkins started his research while employed by Scott & White Healthcare in Temple. He came to Baylor in 2006 and established the lab shortly thereafter.

That was made possible by a $2.6 million grant from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, which is part of the National Institutes of Health. The grant is the largest the center ever has awarded for hypnosis-related research.

The grant is funding a five-year study that began in 2007. It will include 180 women, half of whom will receive hypnosis treatment.

Those women participate in five weekly hypnosis sessions. Elkins has the women sit in a recliner and close their eyes. He then leads them through a series of suggestions and imagery designed to make them feel cool.

For example, participants might imagine they are walking in snow.

Between sessions, the women practice the method at home. The goal is for them to use the therapy whenever they feel a hot flash coming on, Elkins said.

Barbara Lee, a 66-year-old local apartment manager, said hypnosis has been effective for her.

Plagued by hot flashes since her 30s, she entered the study 14 months ago.

Now, she’s able to stop hot flashes almost instantly, Lee said. Overall, her condition is 85 percent to 90 percent better, she said.

“(People) would get so much out of it if they would open their minds,” Lee said of hypnosis.

To judge the effectiveness of the therapy, the women keep diaries about their hot flashes. But there is also hard data collection.

Saliva samples are taken from participants so the level of a stress hormone can be analyzed. Also, the women periodically attach a device to their chest that monitors flashes by detecting a sudden onset of sweating.

So far, the data are showing improvements in both women’s perceptions of their hot flashes and in the physical indicators, Elkins said.

Long-term, Elkins said, hypnosis has the potential to help contain health care costs by making people less reliant on medications or procedures. It also gives people a tool that can help them take charge of their health, especially when other treatments don’t work.

“It teaches the person something they can do for themselves,” Elkins said.

cculp@wacotrib.com

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Common questions about alternative medicine

Q: What is the difference between complementary medicine and alternative medicine (CAM)?

Complementary medicine is used together with conventional medicine. Alternative medicine is used in place of conventional medicine.

A: How many people use CAM?

Q: About 38 percent of U.S. adults and 12 percent of children use CAM, according to a 2007 federal health survey. That includes everything from diet-based therapies like the Atkins and South Beach diets to massage, meditation and herbal remedies.

A: What is the most commonly type of CAM?

Q: Nonvitamin, nonmineral natural approaches are the most popular, according to the survey. Deep breathing and yoga are increasingly being used. The most commonly used natural products are fish oil/omega 3, echinacea and flaxseed.

Q: What are the most common reasons people use CAM?

A: Back, neck and joint pain are at the top of the list.

Q: What is clinical hypnosis?

A: It is an altered state of consciousness, awareness or perception. Hypnosis is a highly relaxed state in which the patient’s conscious and subconscious mind is focused and receptive to therapeutic suggestion.

Almost everyone has experienced an altered state at some point. It includes things such as being so engrossed in a television show that you didn’t notice someone else coming into the room.

Q: I’ve seen purported examples of hypnosis at fairs or other entertainment venues. Is any of that real?

A: Hypnosis does not weaken a person’s will in any way. It does not cause people to talk spontaneously or reveal information they want to keep secret. It also does not put you to sleep or render you unconscious.

Sources: National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, brochure from Ohio Psychology Publications