Autogenic therapy
Does it work ?
Although the trials below indicate a reduction in state anxiety, pain, depressed mood symptoms, improved sleep parameters and generic quality of life in cancer patients who participated in autogenic therapy, these studies have not been reproduced and have considerable methodological limitations.
Due to the difficulty in creating appropriate and credible placebo conditions that are not obvious to research participants, double-blind studies can not be carried out for this intervention.
Controlled clinical trials
Three clinical trials considered the effectiveness of autogenic therapy for cancer patients5,8,9, whereof two were pilot studies5,9.
A randomised trial examining the effects of a multi-modal psychological sleep management programme for people with a variety of different cancers (n=229) admitted to a rehabilitation clinic in Germany8, found that Progressive Muscular Relaxation (n=80) and autogenic therapy (n=71) were equally effective in enhancing various sleep parameters and reducing the need for sleep medication. The control group (n=78) , which received only the standard rehabilitation programme, reported no changes in the use of sleep medication. Patients in all groups improved on all scales of the quality-of-life EORTC-QLQ-30 questionnaire, with the exception of pain which started at a low level and did not alter significantly. Limitations of this study include lack of a non-treatment control group.
A pilot randomised study (n=31) assessed the effects of autogenic therapy on the psychological status and immune system responses over a two month period in women with early stage breast cancer who had undergone a lumpectomy5. Women receiving autogenic therapy showed a statistically significant improvement in the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) score (inter-group difference: anxiety p=0.0027, depression p=0.0001). Women who were considered by the researcher to be in a meditative state, as opposed to a relaxed state, were found to have an increased immune response. The experimental group reported improved sleep patterns, decrease in hypertension and reduced drug-related hot sweats, but these outcomes were not formally evaluated. Limitations of this study include the small sample size and subjective evaluation of the participants’ meditative state.
Another pilot study (n=30) assessing the benefits of a ten week course in autogenic therapy (n=30) concluded that participants experienced significantly reduced levels of anxiety and improved sleep patterns (p<0.01). The participants had a variety of different cancers, but were predominantly women with breast cancer.9 Participants were instructed to practice the technique three times a day. This study was limited not only by the small sample size, but also because there was no clear method of randomisation or a control group.
Citation
Helen Cooke, CAM-Cancer Consortium. Autogenic therapy [online document]. http://www.cam-cancer.org/CAM-Summaries/Mind-body-interventions/Autogenic-therapy. August 24, 2011.Document history
Summary first published in August 2011, authored by Helen Cooke.
References
- Ernst E, Kanji N. Autogenic training for stress and anxiety: A systematic review. Complementary therapies in Medicine. 2000; 8(2): 106-110.
- Payne, R and Donaghy, M. 2010. Fourth Edition. Payne’s Handbook of Relaxation Techniques: a practical guide for the health care professional. London: Churchill Livingstone, Elsevier.
- Hudacek KD. A review of the effects of hypnosis on the immune system in breast cancer patients: a brief communication. Int J Clin Exp Hypn 2007; 55(4):411-
- British Autogenic Society website. www. autogenic-therapy.org.uk [accessed 02.03.10].
- Hidderley M and Holt M. A pilot randomized trial assessing the effects of autogenic training in early stage cancer patients in relation to psychological status and immune system responses. European Journal of Oncology Nursing. 2004; 8(1): 61-5.
- Kanji N. Management of pain through autogenic training. Complementary Therapies in Nursing & Midwifery. 2000; 6(3): 143-8.
- Gansler T, Kaw C, Crammer C, Smith T. A population-based study of prevalence of complementary methods use by cancer survivors: a report from the American Cancer Society's studies of cancer survivors. Cancer.2008:113(5);1048-57.
- Simeit R, Deck R and Conta-Marx B. Sleep management training for cancer patients with insomnia. Supportive care in Cancer. 2004; (3): 176-83.
- Wright S, Courtney, U, Crowther, D A quantitative and qualitative pilot study for the perceived benefits of autogenic training for a group of people with cancer. European Journal of Cancer Care. 2002 11:122-130.
- Ernst E, Pittler M, Wider B and Boddy K. Oxford Handbook of Complementary Medicine. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008.
The present documentation has been compiled by the CAM-CANCER Project with all due care and expert knowledge. However, the CAM-CANCER Project provides no assurance, guarantee or promise with regard to the correctness, accuracy, up-to-date status or completeness of the information it contains. This information is designed for health professionals. Readers are strongly advised to discuss the information with their physician. Accordingly, the CAM-CANCER Project shall not be liable for damage or loss caused because anyone relies on the information.
