Clinical Hypnosis for Osteoarthritis and Arthritis-Related Pain: A Systematic Review and Critical Synthesis

Osteoarthritis and arthritis related pain can lead to functional limitation, reduced mobility, and poorer quality of life. This systematic review examined the potential role of clinical hypnosis as an adjunctive intervention for adults with osteoarthritis or arthritis related pain in routine care and perioperative settings. The review followed PRISMA 2020 and searched PubMed, Scopus, Embase, ClinicalTrials.gov, and the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform. Eight studies met the inclusion criteria, including five randomized controlled trials and three nonrandomized single group studies, with 281 participants overall. Across included studies, clinical hypnosis was associated with improvement in pain related distress, anxiety, catastrophizing, pain interference, and in some studies reduced medication use. Findings support the potential value of clinical hypnosis as an adjunctive approach for symptom management and perioperative support in osteoarthritis and arthritis related pain, while further well designed trials are needed.