"Pain (any pain--emotional, physical, mental) has a message.  The information it has about our life can be remarkably specific, but it usually falls into one of two categories:  "We would be more alive if we did more of this," and, "Life would be more lovely if we did less of that."   Once we get the pain's message, and follow its advice, the pain goes away."

-Peter McWilliams, Life 101

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Pain is a messenger.  Its function is to call attention to an area of the body which requires it.  However, the amount of pain we actually feel is often exaggerated due in large part to anticipation and fear.

Have you ever noticed a cut, scrape, or bruise on your body and you can't recall how it even happened?  It's quite common.  Have you ever noticed that it then began hurting only after  you became aware of the wound?  That's because pain occurs in the brain.

When we are wounded, or when we feel pain somewhere in the body, there's a tendency to worry about what's going to happen.  "What if I get really sick?   What if it doesn't heal properly?  What if I have to go to the hospital and get a shot?"... etc., etc.

This type of thinking causes stress, which causes tension, which actually increases the amount of pain we feel.  One of the things we do with hypnosis is to interrupt this pain cycle.  When you are relaxed, you are at your best.  You notice the pain, do what's necessary to ensure your health and well-being, and go about your business.

For years, doctors and dentists have used hypnosis for anaesthesia.  Sometimes as a complement, and sometimes all by itself.  The fact is, it's entirely possible to have dental work done, to have incisions made in the body and to have broken bones reset without the use of any drugs whatsoever.

Headaches, like any other form of pain, are messengers as well.  They can also be a product of stress.  It's possible that something important in an individual's life is being neglected, and their subconscious mind is saying "Hey there! Pay attention to me! You're missing something!"  Once an important issue is resolved in that person's life, the headaches often go away.  If that's the case, hypnosis can be used to locate the true source of your pain.

If the headaches are just headaches, hypnosis can also help you to control the intensity of the pain.  It's just as if you had a knob that you could turn to adjust the "volume" of the pain.  This works the same for toothaches, back pain, and more.

It's always of the utmost importance that you do acknowledge the pain as messenger first and foremost, before you minimize it or remove it completely.  Eliminating the pain from a broken arm won't help it to heal.  However, when used properly, hypnosis can greatly reduce the amount of pain an individual feels on a daily basis, and is an incredible tool to be able to call upon in a pinch.

Recently, I was lying in bed at night when I began to feel an intense toothache.  Within minutes, I not only eliminated the pain, I also drifted off peacefully to sleep.  I still had to go to the dentist to take care of the toothache, but it certainly helped make things easier in the meantime.

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Pain Control Hypnosis in the News

Man Hypnotises Himself Before Operation

Source:  BBC News

April 18, 2008

A hypnotist from West Sussex has undergone surgery on his right hand without a general anaesthetic.  Alex Lenkei, 61, from Worthing, chose to sedate himself by hypnosis before undergoing the 83-minute operation.

"It took between 30 seconds to a minute for me to place myself under hypnosis, and from that point I felt a very deep relaxation.  I was aware of everything around me, from people talking and at one stage a hammer and chisel was used as well as a surgical saw, but I felt no pain."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/sussex/7355523.stm

Hypnosis 'Reduces Cancer Pain'

Source:  BBC News

September 10, 2004

Childhood cancer patients suffer less pain when placed under hypnosis, scientists have claimed.

Children who had been hypnotised in trials reported they had less pain from medical procedures as well as cancer-related pain.  Dr Christina Liossi, from University of Wales, Swansea, suggested there was even tentative evidence that hypnosis prolonged the lives of cancer patients.

"All [40] children who used hypnosis with a local anaesthetic felt much less pain than children who were just given the local anaesthetic," said Dr Liossi.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3642764.stm

Hypnosis 'Eases Cancer Op Pain'

Source:  BBC News

August 29, 2007

Breast cancer patients need less anaesthetic during operations if they have been relaxed by hypnosis beforehand, US research suggests.  Patients in the study of 200 women by the Mount Sinai School of Medicine also reported less pain afterwards.

Dr David Spiegel, from Stanford University School of Medicine, wrote in the journal: "You have to pay attention to pain for it to hurt, and it is entirely possible to substantially alter pain perception during surgical procedures by inducing hypnotic relaxation, transforming perception in parts of the body, or directing attention elsewhere."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6969298.stm

Hypnosis 'Can Ease Bowel Illness'

Source:  BBC News

May 25, 2007

Hypnotherapy could help people with severe irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), researchers say.  Many scientists now believe that the cause in many cases is a combination of mental and physical factors, and that the drugs commonly used to tackle it may be aiming at the wrong target.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6688579.stm

Hypnotherapy Plan for Childbirth

Source:  BBC News

May 30, 2005

"Many women are afraid of childbirth," said Renee Buchanan, a hypnotherapist and member of the UK HypnoBirthing Advisory Board.   "They hear stories about dramatic and painful births which are also depicted on TV.  This causes tension which in turn causes pain and doesn't allow the birth to progress as naturally as it should."

"HypnoBirthing doesn't promise pain-free labour but says labour should be much more comfortable.  It allows women to enjoy having their babies instead of it being something they fear."

HypnoBirthing was developed in the US 15 years ago and is based on the work of an English obstetrician and founder of the National Childbirth Trust, Dr Grantly Dick-Read.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/4593427.stm

Hypnosis Eases Breast Cancer Surgery Pain: Study

Source: Reuters

Tuesday, Aug 28, 2007

"One hour prior to breast cancer surgery, 100 women underwent hypnosis for 15 minutes and the rest had 15 minutes of counseling with a psychologist.

Those who received hypnosis needed less anesthesia during the operation, reported less pain afterward and their procedures took less time. They spent 11 minutes less in surgery, amounting to $773 per patient in reduced surgical costs, according to the study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

In a commentary in the same journal, Dr. David Spiegel of Stanford University School of Medicine wrote, "You have to pay attention to pain for it to hurt, and it is entirely possible to substantially alter pain perception during surgical procedures by inducing hypnotic relaxation."

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSN2827495620070828

For more articles related to health and hypnosis, visit this page:  Hypnosis in the News.

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