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
Angie –
I’ve had tinnitus for many years, but it has got worse over the past five years. Following an online assessment I had a session with Cathy at the beautiful Therapy Rooms. Cathy is very knowledgeable and confident in her approach; it was a very good session. She said it would be up to a couple of weeks before I notice change, so fingers crossed it is effective!
Richard rodgers –
I had Cathy help me as I’ve suffered from vertigo for 9 months , thinking it was here for ever I’d lost hope until Cathy came along, she explained how the mind works and that she could change my thought process. I had one session with her which was relaxing , I didn’t really realise I was under , I could listen to her voice all the time it was so reassuring and non judgmental. She said it would take a couple of weeks and after 2 weeks I began to feel less dizzy , my life is staring to get back to normal . Thank you Cathy for getting me back .
Kath –
I have been experiencing chronic pain for several years from arthritis . I discussed my difficulties with Cathy and we agreed what the best way forward was together. Cathy has very good listening skills and is very professional. She made me relaxed and the experience was incredibly beneficial to me. I have booked to see Cathy again