According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than a fifth of the US adult population lives with chronic pain. For context, chronic pain affects more Americans than heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
Depending on the cause, severity and duration of pain, there are several treatment options out there, including pain medication, regenerative injections, surgery, and physical therapy. More recently, psychological treatment options have recently come to the fore as well. Hypnotherapy has been successfully applied to achieve both analgesic (absence of pain) and anesthetic (absence of any sensation) states.
Let’s take a closer look at some hypnotherapy interventions that are used to help with pain.
Method 1: Reframe the pain
While reframing is often thought to be a cognitive psychology technique, it can also be used to treat physical pain. Using hypnotherapy, the practitioner builds rapport with the clients and helps them modify their experience of the pain using a metaphor.
During this treatment, the client will be asked to describe the pain, including its shape, size, sensation, and even color. For instance, if a client describes a ‘burning’ pain, hypnosis will use the metaphor and help the client ‘cool down’ the area so that the pain can be reframed.
Method 2: Distract from the pain
Distraction is a powerful technique that is incredibly useful with pain management. For instance, a football player might not realize they’ve pulled a tendon until after the game ends. The intense focus on the game means that nerve impulses from the injured leg are diluted.
Hypnotherapy can be used to distract clients so that the pain is diluted. Studies have shown the efficacy of this method during the process of childbirth which can be extremely painful.
Method 3: Dissociate from the pain
Dissociation allows clients to remove themselves from their physical space. For instance, while dreaming, we often dissociate from our physical environment. This technique has proven useful during surgeries where anesthesia isn’t allowed.
Are you suffering from chronic pain that’s decreased your well-being and quality of life? Advanced Hypnotherapy of Naples offers hypnotherapy for pain management and sleep disorder therapy so you can live your life to the fullest. Our certified medical support and hypnotherapy specialists offer anxiety therapy, drug treatment therapy, and alcohol addiction therapy services among others.
Visit our clinic in Naples, Florida and discuss your customized treatment plan with our experts. Schedule an appointment online or call (239) 692-9988 for more information.
