title: Positive suggestion techniques in somatic medicine: A review of the empirical studies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  THERE IS AN EVER REOCCURRING QUESTION IN MEDICAL PRACTICE: Does the positive attitude and communication of the medical staff make any difference?
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Our aim is to present a comprehensive overview of the medically relevant effects of positive suggestions by reviewing the recent literature.
  
  
  METHODS
  We will review the studies measuring the effects of suggestive communication of the past 20 years. In cases of studies presented in more details we quote from the suggestion scripts used in the study, too.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Some of the reviewed papers report that positive suggestions lead to decreased pain and use of pain medication and positively affect physiological factors like bowel motility, blood pressure and bleeding during surgery as well. However, the literature also contains studies in which only partial or no positive effects were found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We emphasize further, more detailed investigation of positive suggestion techniques and its integration into the education of medical professionals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Affective Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Eötvös Loránd University Budapest Hungary.
authors.forename: Zoltán
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kekecs
authors.forename: Katalin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Varga
keywords: controlled clinical studies; hypnosis; medical communication; positive communication; positive suggestions; therapeutic suggestions