Hypnosis can be a helpful and effective, non-drug (non-pharmacological) therapy for those suffering from diverse forms of pain, including chronic conditions such as arthritis, fibromyalgia.
A meta-analysis (a study of studies) in 2000, of 18 published studies by psychologists Guy Montgomery, PhD, Katherine DuHamel, PhD, and William Redd, PhD, showed that 75% of clinical and experimental participants with different types of pain obtained substantial pain relief from hypnotic techniques.
There are two different types of pain – acute and chronic pain. Acute pain (also referred to as short-term pain) is usually a result of an accident or temporary illness.
Chronic, or long-term pain is often more complicated. The pain may be a result of a medical condition, or there may not be any obvious cause, and it may be experienced on a regular basis. This doesn’t mean the pain isn’t real, it just makes treatment that much more complex.
If you are experiencing pain, you are always advised to see your doctor first. They will be able to investigate further to find out what might be causing it and offer treatment options.
However, pain, particularly chronic is a complicated issue that can be hard to treat. In the majority of cases, this will by prescribing drugs. These are not always effective and can lead to issues which can vary from person to person, but often, affecting awareness, with feelings of being over-relaxed, being ‘zoned-out’ with ‘fuzzy thinking’ – the ability to think coherently with reduced mental clarity with thinking clearly or concentration, or can have tolerance and side-effect issues such as feeling or physically being sick and vomiting (nausea) or cause stomach issues such as cramps, or constipation.
Pain is individual, no single treatment works for everyone.
This is where hypnotherapy can help. Different approaches can be used to help lessen pain.