In 2000 the Joint Commission for Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) put into place a new standard for managing pain that opened the door to complementary therapies. This standard became know as "the 5th Vital Sign." Vital Signs are taken seriously; therefore, if pain is assessed with the same zeal as other vital signs, it has a much better chance of being treated properly. So by training doctors and nurses to measure pain as a vital sign, quality of patient care improves.

Why Hypnosis?
RI.1.2 Section of the JCAHO Standards calls for patients to be involved in all aspects of their care and requires that they be provided with a statement of their rights. They are given information about pain and pain relief measures that are available to include a special emphasis on non-pharmacological methods of pain management. Because of these standards many hospitals, such as Columbia, Harvard, and Yale, along with freestanding pain management centers provide complementary care as a part of their pain management programs. Hypnosis, Acupuncture, Massage, and Biofeedback are the standards for these clinics. However, hypnosis, as evidenced by its multi-century history, is one of the first and most enduring modalities in the management of organic pain problems. In proper perspective, hypnosis may not only relieve pain, but may also help to maintain the dignity and the well being of the patient without dependence on large quantities of medication.

Hypnosis is evidenced based. Hypnosis works!