Hypnotic Relaxation Therapy Improves The Sex Lives Of Postmenopausal Women, Study Says

Hypnotic relaxation therapy can help the sex lives of postmenopausal women who are experiencing moderate to severe hot flashes, according to a new study.

The findings demonstrate yet another benefit to hypnotic relaxation therapy, shown in other studies to reduce anxiety, relieve stress and help with insomnia. With hypnosis, a person is drawn into a deeply relaxed state, with the suspension of their critical faculties.

For the study, conducted by Baylor University researchers, 187 women were randomly assigned to receive either 5 weekly sessions of hypnotic relaxation therapy or supportive counseling, said lead researcher Aimee Johnson, a doctoral student in psychology and neuroscience at Baylor University, in a press release.

Those in the hypnotic relaxation therapy group were hypnotized, and heard suggestions for relaxation, coolness and mental imagery. Those who received counseling talked about their symptoms with a therapist but did not receive hypnosis.

The women were asked to complete questionnaires at the start of the study, at the end of treatment and at a 12-week follow-up. They were asked about everything from their hot flashes to their ability to experience sexual intimacy.

“The most common complaints are being too tired, anxiety, depression, hot flashes and the fear of close contact,” said Dr. Gary Elkins, director of Baylor's Mind-Body Medicine Research Laboratory, in a press release. Because warmth that comes from closeness can trigger a hot flash, some women begin to fear intimacy, he said.

Elkins noted that, as a result of the study, women might have an alternative to hormone replacement therapy, which has a risk of cancer and heart disease.

At the end of treatment, women who had received hypnotic relaxation therapy reported significantly greater sexual satisfaction and pleasure, as well as less discomfort. This improvement also was evident at the 12-week follow-up assessment.

“Women's sexual health improved, whether because of sleeping better, less stress or fewer hot flashes, or perhaps other unknown mechanisms,” Elkins said.

Researchers noted that many factors besides hot flashes can impact postmenopausal sexual health including fatigue, self-esteem and a lack of interest.

For many women -- such as those who have had breast cancer -- hormone replacement therapy is not an option for menopause-related symptoms. Estrogen, for example, has been associated with more rapid growth of breast cancer.

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health.

A previous study, also by Baylor University, found that hypnotic relaxation therapy can reduce hot flashes by 80 percent.

Article was originally published at - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/16/hypnotic-relaxation-therapy_n_3767361.html

Improved Sex for Couples after Menopause: Here's the Secret

According to a recent study published in the journal Menopause, many women and their sex partners suffer needlessly from a lack of sex following menopause. The chief reason behind this lack of sex is due to a condition called “vulvovaginal atrophy” (VVA)--the drying and thinning of vaginal tissue resulting from hormonal changes initiated by menopause. However, before menopause, hormonal changes do just the opposite and make women more sexually receptive.

Vulvovaginal atrophy is a well-studied medical condition that is typically remedied in some cases with hormone replacement therapy (HRT), but more often with vaginal lubricants and moisturizers. In some cases women also use a female Viagra pill to increase blood flow to their vaginal tissue. Loss of feelings of intimacy and loss of libido are typically associated with discomfort or pain during sex due to the vulvovaginal atrophy.

However, what is less studied is the emotional and physical impact of vaginal atrophy on postmenopausal women and their male sex partners—a quality of life issue that may adversely affect many marriages as well as feelings of esteem and self-worth.

Hot Flashes: How Hypnosis Can Help You in Reducing Menopause Symptoms?

Hot flashes: those instant experiences of hotness that sweep by means of a woman's body system, normally accompanied with a expeled experience and even excessive sweating. They really are the most common signs and symptoms of menopausal also perimenopause together with -- quite truthfully -- hard drive a great deal of mature females insane. Hypnosis will be helpful get rid of hot flashes in postmenopausal women of all ages and, minimizing their occurrence as high as 74%, professionals say. Hot flashes have an effect on about 80% of women as they simply go through menopausal. The unexpected hasten of heat function could be pursued by anxiety allowing it to eliminate good quality of lifestyle. 

However right now the latest research states that that medicinal hypnosis can aid in eliminating hot flashes in addition to their associated signs or symptoms. Hypnotic relaxation therapy diminished hot flashes by just as much as 80%, as reported by analysis from Baylor University's Mind-Body Medication Researching Laboratory. The conclusions also suggested that attendees encountered a more suitable excellence of living because of sensation much less anxiousness and depression symptoms. 

A healthy diet is best part for a number of women: Above two-thirds of North American most women experience hot flashes in the course of perimenopause, together with nearly every individual who suffers through triggered or premature the symptoms of menopause, according to WebMD. The more than likely disadvantage of employing hypnosis for hot flashes, is the time and effort demanded. Preliminary instruction should be issued by a medical professional well-versed in hypnosis, after which you will need to rehearse at your home. 

Professionals don’t are fully aware of exactly how hypnosis might work to comfortable the hot flashes. It most likely impacts on the body’s thermostat control in the human brain. To be clinically essential, the reduction will have to be 55% or even more, he stated. Furthermore reducing in number of occurrence, the hot flashes as well started to be milder. 

Although hypnosis might end up being a whole new alternative for hot flash affected people, a previous all natural treatment was just lately debunked. In contrast to past researches looking into the association between soy as well as these particular menopausal signs and symptoms, the present review incorporated an incredibly major human population over an extensive period of time of their time: much more than 1,600 women of all ages over a decade.