Published in Neurology (April 2026) — one of the world's most respected neurology journals — a new randomised controlled trial has found that hypnotic cognitive therapy significantly reduces chronic and neuropathic pain in people living with spinal cord injury. The implications reach far beyond the specific population studied.
What the Study Found
Researchers led by Charles Bombardier at the University of Washington enrolled 127 adults with spinal cord injury (SCI) and moderate-to-severe chronic pain. Participants were randomised 1:1 to either hypnotic cognitive therapy (HYP-CT) or usual care.
HYP-CT consisted of six weekly 60-minute sessions delivered by a psychologist over the telephone or via Zoom. Each session combined hypnotic induction with cognitive techniques, and participants were given recordings to practise self-hypnosis daily between sessions.
The results, assessed at both 6 weeks and 12 weeks, were clear: the HYP-CT group showed significantly greater reductions in average pain intensity compared to those receiving usual care. Critically, 57% of participants had neuropathic pain — the type of pain notoriously difficult to treat with standard medication. Pain interference with daily life also declined meaningfully in the treatment group.
The researchers noted that improvements held at the 12-week follow-up, suggesting this was not just a short-term effect.
Why This Study Matters
Neuropathic pain — caused by damage or dysfunction to the nervous system — is one of medicine's most stubborn challenges. Standard treatments include anticonvulsants, antidepressants, and opioids, all of which carry significant side effects and variable efficacy. Many patients are left with poorly controlled pain and a reduced quality of life.
This trial, published in Neurology, matters for several reasons:
- It used a rigorous RCT design with blinded assessors and computerised randomisation
- It was delivered remotely — over phone and Zoom — making it scalable and accessible
- It targeted the nervous system directly — the mechanism behind neuropathic pain — through a mind-based approach
- Gains were sustained at 12 weeks, not just immediately after treatment
The study adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that hypnosis works not by distraction, but by genuinely altering the way the brain processes pain signals. Neuroimaging research consistently shows that hypnosis reduces activity in the anterior cingulate cortex — the brain's primary pain-processing hub — and modulates how the default mode network (which drives rumination and suffering) functions.
The Mind-Body Link in Pain
Pain is not purely physical. The experience of pain is created in the brain — which is why the same injury can feel dramatically different depending on fear, anxiety, sleep quality, and attention. This is especially true for chronic and neuropathic pain, where the nervous system becomes sensitised and continues broadcasting pain signals even without ongoing tissue damage.
Hypnotherapy works by intervening in this process. Under hypnosis, the mind enters a state of focused, receptive attention — sometimes described as a flow state — in which deeply embedded patterns, including pain responses, become accessible. Therapeutic suggestions can then recalibrate the nervous system's default alarm settings, reducing the volume of pain signals over time.
The combination with cognitive techniques (as used in HYP-CT) adds another layer: changing unhelpful beliefs about pain, reducing pain catastrophising, and building confidence that the body can feel better.
How Clear Minds Can Help
The Clear Minds app delivers guided hypnotherapy sessions designed for real-world conditions — including sessions specifically focused on stress, anxiety, and physical discomfort. While Clear Minds is not a clinical substitute for medical care, its evidence-informed approach mirrors the self-practice component shown to be effective in this trial: daily, accessible, audio-guided hypnotherapy that works around your life.
The spinal cord injury trial also demonstrates something encouraging for anyone exploring hypnotherapy: the format works remotely. Six sessions via phone or Zoom produced clinically meaningful reductions in some of the most difficult-to-treat pain known to medicine. App-based self-hypnosis, practised consistently, operates on the same principles.
If you live with persistent pain, tension, or a body that feels like it's constantly switched on, hypnotherapy may offer a way to turn down the signal.
Could hypnotherapy help you manage chronic or persistent pain?
The research is clear: hypnotherapy can meaningfully reduce pain — including neuropathic pain — by changing how the brain processes discomfort. Clear Minds gives you access to guided hypnotherapy sessions from your phone, every day. Start your 7-day free trial and experience the difference a calmer nervous system makes.
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Reference
Bombardier C et al. Hypnotic Cognitive Therapy for Chronic Pain in Spinal Cord Injury: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Neurology. 2026 Apr 28;106(8):e214836. DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000214836. PMID: 41886709.
