Comparing the Effectiveness of Acupuncture and Clinical Hypnosis on Pain, Anxiety, and Cortisol Levels in a Child with Burn Injury: A Single-Case Experimental Study

Background: Burn injuries and the wound care process are highly painful and anxiety-inducing for children. Alongside pharmacological analgesics, non-pharmacological interventions play a critical role. Hypnosis has been employed to reduce pain and anxiety associated with burns in adults. Similarly, acupuncture has been used to alleviate pain and improve psychological outcomes in individuals experiencing acute and chronic pain. However, the comparative effectiveness of these two treatments in pediatric populations has not yet been explored. Methods: This single-case experimental study was conducted between October ۲۰۱۸ and January ۲۰۱۹. An eight-year-old child with an acute burn on the left hand was selected via purposive sampling. An ABAB reversal design with multiple baselines was implemented across four time points, during which the child received acupuncture, natural hypnosis, and clinical hypnosis. Assessments were conducted over a ۲۴-week period. Data were analyzed using generalized estimation equations and repeated measures correlation. Results: Initial findings indicated that clinical hypnosis significantly reduced pain and anxiety (p < ۰.۰۵), but had no significant effect on salivary cortisol levels (p = ۰.۹۳). Acupuncture demonstrated significant effects on reducing pain, anxiety, and salivary cortisol (p < ۰.۰۵ for all). Secondary analyses revealed significant positive correlations among pain, anxiety, and cortisol levels (p < ۰.۰۱). The only significant difference between the two interventions was observed in the effect of acupuncture on salivary cortisol (p < ۰.۰۵). Conclusion: The findings of this study, consistent with previous research, suggest that both acupuncture and clinical hypnosis are effective for specific physiological and psychological indicators in pediatric burn patients. These results may inform the development of tailored therapeutic programs, though further research is needed to clarify the differential effectiveness between the two treatments.

کلیدواژه ها:

hypnosis ، Acupuncture ، Burns ، children ، cortisol ، anxiety ، Pain