Hypnotherapy Birmingham, UK with

Ian Evans Hypnotist and Therapist.

Retrac Hypnotherapy Centre 23 Broad Rd, Acocks Green, Birmingham B27 7UX  Tel: 0121 707 3588

Pain Relief

Many find hypnotherapy effective as an adjunct treatment to help provide pain relief. Hypnotherapy is the process of accessing, communicating and sending positive suggestions to the subconscious mind.

The Melzack and Wall gate-control theory of pain, first proposed in 1965, may help to explain why hypnosis helps to reduce pain. The theory - put forward after the recognition of the lack of a clear relationship between painful stimuli and the subjective experience of pain - proposes that input from the pain receptors passes through a gating mechanism in the spinal cord. The gate opens or closes depending on the distribution of activity in the ascending and descending nerve fibres.

Several studies using positron emission tomography (PET) have looked at what goes on in the brain during hypnosis. In one, hypnotised subjects had their hands immersed in "painfully hot" water but were told it was comfortably warm. This not only altered their perception of the pain but also altered blood flow in pain-related parts of the brain.

The brain can respond to pain by releasing chemicals called endorphins, which reduce or inhibit pain sensations. Thus, the gate may be influenced by both the peripheral response to painful stimulus and higher brain activity such as cognition and emotion. The perceived intensity of the pain can be altered by the mental state, opening the way for psychological intervention.

Altering nerve messages

Hypnosis may work by encouraging the release of endorphins - the body's own painkillers -, but the exact mechanism involved has not been established. When someone with chronic, long-term pain feels depressed, their relay station gates open more than usual, allowing more pain messages through. Because hypnosis can sometimes completely remove pain, or distract people from feeling it, it is important that a doctor assess the underlying medical or psychological condition prior to hypnosis. Getting rid of the pain when there is an important physical cause may prevent a condition from being properly treated.

Marc Marcuse, at the University of California, remarked that the field of hypnotic management of pain is in a strange position. Although hypnosis has been shown to be quite effective in many cases of pain, it tends to be somewhat of an undesirable method to lessen the pain. Hypnosis is an easy-to-administer procedure which has no deep or long-lasting side effects, yet most doctors ignore its effectiveness in lieu of more traditional methods. Even though its exact mechanisms of action are unknown, it still has merit. Fortunately, the body of knowledge regarding hypnosis continues to grow, and hopefully will one day address these issues. The trend will hopefully lead to an examination of the neuro-chemical basis for hypnosis pain management. Understanding of this mechanism can also lead to advances in comprehension of other relaxation and states of dissociation. Obviously, the use of pain management via hypnosis should be rigorously examined, so that it can be available to patients and physicians as a useful and safe alternative to medication.

Soskis (1986) estimates that only about 10% of us are able to use hypnosis to avoid intense pain, as in surgery or childbirth. The fact is that the effectiveness of self-hypnosis suggestions has not been objectively evaluated and compared to other methods. You will just have to try it and find out how well it works for you. Be objective!

For Hypnotherapy Birmingham and help with Pain Control, ring me on 0121 707 3588.

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