The pain that dares not speaking name. Hypnosis in chronic pelvic pain: from theory to clinical practice

Journal title IPNOSI
Author/s Giuseppe De Benedittis
Publishing Year 2026 Issue 2026/1
Language Italian Pages 13 P. 16-28 File size 91 KB
DOI 10.3280/IPN2026-001002
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What is more paradoxical and extraordinary than pain in a part of the body dedicated to pleasure and reproduction, such as the genitals? This is the “unspeakable” pain, one that dares not speak its name because it evokes feelings of social shame and intolerable guilt—factors that ultimately delay diagnosis and postpone appropriate treatment. Idiopathic pelvic pain, vulvodynia, vaginismus, perineal pain, painful bladder syndrome, and pain associated with endometriosis represent the most common phenotypes of urogenital pain syndromes. Although still underestimated, prevalence has recently shown a sharp increase and the impact on the overall quality of individual and interpersonal life, not just sexual life, is devastating. Its pathogenesis is often multifactorial, but the role of psychological factors is manifestly greater than in other chronic pain syndromes. The clinical picture is frequently subjected to inconclusive hand-offs and approaches between specialists of different backgrounds (e.g., gynecologists, urologists, neurologists, psychiatrists) and remains refractory to many treatments, condemning the patient to a state of exhaustion and frustration. Hypnosis, within a multidisciplinary approach, can represent the turning point in the therapeutic destiny of these unfortunate patients, restoring them to a life worth living.

Keywords: Chronic pelvic pain, vulvodynia, perineal pain, painful bladder, pain associated with endometriosis, hypnotherapy.

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Giuseppe De Benedittis, Il dolore che non osa dire il suo nome. L’ipnosi nel dolore cronico pelvico: dalla teoria alla pratica clinica in "IPNOSI" 1/2026, pp 16-28, DOI: 10.3280/IPN2026-001002