Pain Management

Description

It is difficult to think of anything more debilitating than chronic pain.   The constant piercing, seething, stabbing, burning sensation deep in the body seems unrelenting.  Such is the agony of someone in chronic pain.

Pain is a warning that something is not right

Pain can be a warning sign of damaged tissue or that something is wrong in the body.  It is important for us to feel pain sometimes.  In this context pain may be seen as existing in the boundary between body and mind.   The first step in pain management is scheduling an appointment with your doctor to determine the cause of your pain.   There are many different pain management options available, including medication, exercising, and talking therapies, such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.   You can find the right treatment combination to get the relief you need.

However some pain persists beyond normal healing time or can be linked to a chronic disease.  This pain may not be related to a physical problem that can be helped by medication or other solutions.   Hypnotherapy may provide some relief in these cases.  This may be true for people for whom medication does not work or those seeking an alternative to medication.

Hypnotherapy cannot “cure ” your physical ailment, but it has been shown to assist in managing the level of pain, especially with long term conditions.

Hypnotherapy might be able to help

There are a number of different therapeutic approaches that have been successful for people using hypnotherapy.  In particular, one technique can help to “turn down the volume” on the pain.  Another approach is to help the “part” of the person’s subconscious mind that is controlling the pain to find an alternative way for the person to gain the same benefit without the pain.   Guided mediations under hypnosis can also provide relief for some people.  This can include visualisations of having a “glove of ice” on the affected area to soothe the pain.  Other ideas include receiving a virtual massage or resting in a warm bath.

Self-hypnosis can also be taught so that the person can learn to manage their own pain as necessary.

You can start by listening to my free self-healing audio recording which may help.  It begins with a guided visualisation to help you relax.   Your subconscious mind is then asked to help you identify what is happening in your body and to try to heal it.

Stress and Anxiety

Pain levels can be increased by negative thoughts, stress and anxiety.  Hypnosis for pain management aims to manage any fear and anxiety you may have relating to your pain.   It also helps to reduce stress and relax the nervous system to help it become less reactive to pain.   People can learn how to challenge negative thoughts and reduce stress and anxiety using relaxation and breathing.

What kinds of pain can hypnotherapy help with?

Hypnotherapy has been found to help some people manage their pain in relation to:

• Arthritis and Rheumatism
• Ataxia
• Autoimmune conditions, such as Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Crohn’s Disease and Colitis
• Celiac
• Migraines and headaches
• Tinnitus
• Vertigo
• Endometriosis
• Menstrual pain
• Menopause and Andropause (Male Menopause)
• Muscular pain
• Back pain