The onset of menopause is accompanied by a significant drop in blood estradiol levels, the main symptom of which is hot flashes. These are present in 80% of menopausal women and are debilitating in 25% of cases.
Although estrogen therapy is the most effective treatment for managing menopausal symptoms, numerous non-hormonal alternatives, both pharmacological and non-pharmacological, have been evaluated for managing menopausal symptoms. Among these, hypnosis has shown promise in several studies.
However, to our knowledge, there are no studies that evaluate the longer-term effectiveness of hypnotherapy on menopausal symptoms (beyond 3 months after the start of treatment). Furthermore, there is very little data on the effectiveness of hypnotherapy on the overall quality of life of these women, independent of hot flashes, nor on other symptoms related to menopause. A first pilot study, neither randomized nor controlled, is currently underway, and we hope to continue the project with a robust controlled study.