“What Kind of Chronic Pain does Hypnosis Relieve?”
We’ve been discussing how pain affects the brain. We’ve talked about how emotions affect chronic pain. And we’ve shown that hypnosis and mindfulness help reduce or eliminate pain in the body and help you control the intensity of pain.
What kind of chronic medical conditions can be helped by hypnosis? The National Institutes of Health conducted studies on thirteen types of chronic pain , using hypnotherapy to address pain issues. They found “, hypnosis was generally found to be more effective than nonhypnotic interventions such as attention, physical therapy, and education.”
These are the chronic conditions they studied; cancer pain, low back pain, arthritis pain, sickle cell disease, Temporomandibular Pain, fibromyalgia, disability related pain, mixed chronic-pain problems. I would like to add these conditions to that mix; IBS pain, Chrohn’s disease pain, Shoulder pain and neuropathy pain.
The studies showed that hypnosis can reduce pain and also the practitioner can teach their clients techniques to confront any day to day pain that might creep up. And , one of the great things the study brought to light, was how hypnosis and learned techniques from hypnotherapists, can allow clients to confront future pain events.
When to Seek Hypnosis Before the Pain Sets In
For example, perhaps because of a medical condition, you are looking at a future surgery. Coming in for hypnosis before your surgery, helps the body prepare for what will happen. I will be giving you suggestions about having very little blood loss and that you will recover with a minimal amount of discomfort. I also will suggest that you will recover so quickly that your doctors will be amazed!
We work before the surgery to have the least amount of discomfort and promote optimum healing. We also work on relaxing before and after the surgery. I’ll be making you a recording to take home and listen to, to reinforce the work we’ve done. And I’ll have a recording ready for you to have in the hospital and at home.
History of Hypnosis and Pain
This isn’t something new and current. In the mid 19th century, a Scottish surgeon was in India conducting amputations. He reported eighty percent surgical anesthesia with hypnosis.
Dr. David Speigel of Stanford University reports on his use of hypnosis pre-surgical procedure, “We published a study the The Lancet in the year 2000 with patients undergoing invasive radiological procedures, having catheters inserted into their arteries to their liver or their kidney, and we were able to reduce their use of medication by fifty percent. They had half the pain despite that, and by the end of two hours virtually no anxiety at all. They had fewer complications, and the procedures took seventeen minutes less time on average.”
Pain Relief, Better Sleep
Hypnosis relieves pain and promotes relaxation and better quality sleep. I also teach my clients self- hypnosis, tapping and other energy techniques to aid them daily in controlling their pain. Mindfulness allows us to be present in the present moment, breathing and focusing on the now. It allows the mind and body to work together toward an easement of symptoms.
Chronic conditions can be aided by the use of hypnosis. Chronic pain is a symptom that is routinely helped by hypnosis. This has been documented by medical studies going back more than two hundred years and the American Medical Association has approved hypnosis for medical issues since the 1950’s.
If you have a chronic medical condition, hypnosis can help you. If you’d like to learn more, call me, Angie J. Hernandez, Certified Hypnotherapist, at the Indiana Hypnosis Center, at (574) 658-4686. I’ll give you a free consultation and let you know how hypnosis can benefit you.
About the Author Angie J. Hernandez, C.Ht.
A graduate of the Hypnosis Motivation Institute, Angie J. Hernandez, C.Ht., has her private practice in Milford, Indiana. She is certified in hypnotherapy by the Hypnotherapist's Union Local 472. Angie is the author of "Weight Loss Epiphany: The Workbook", "Charlie's Cuddly Animals for Little Geniuses" and "Weight Loss Hypnosis: Lose Weight with Hypnosis Scripts & Recordings". You can find out more about Angie and how to schedule private sessions by calling (574) 658-4686.
