Pain management is a fascinating area of hypnotherapy. Hypnotic analgesia has been used in surgical settings for thousands of years, instead of drugs. It is used in Asia currently, and in some hospitals in the West. It can be so effective in fact that it can mask the pain of serious conditions. This is why, when a client comes in for pain management, that they have a doctor’s agreement on using hypnosis for this purpose. It is a safety check to ensure that the client has either ruled out a serious condition, or that the condition is known, and being treated, and that the hypnotherapy simply assists with the side effects of that condition. I have assisted clients with cancer, nerve pain, brain tumour, old fractures, arthritis, inflammation, among other types of pain.
Approaches in pain management
Sometimes, when pain comes from an old injury associated with an accident, the body stores the shock of the accident. This emotional shock can block the natural healing of the injury. Hypnotherapy can help in this instance by reframing the way that the unconscious mind views the accident. I use a certain technique in this instance, to ‘undo’ the physical trauma.
The unconscious mind holds emotional attachment to different parts of our histories. If you can capture that time in your life when you were healthy and strong, and relive that experience as if it were happening now, you can confuse your unconscious mind about where you are in time, and you can bring that experience into the now. Sometimes the result is purely emotional, but there have been clients who have made physical improvements following this process, as their bodies decided to try to replicate that powerful time in their histories.
There is a process I use which is essentially self-directed, where I ask my hypnotised client to match the body that they have to that of their perfect blueprint. I don’t tell them how to match it, but I ask that their unconscious mind leads the way in making the necessary changes. I facilitate this process and engage the client in a conversation while they are under trance. This way I can make sure that they are following their unconscious lead, rather than directing the flow of events consciously. Essentially, if your unconscious mind is allowed to lead, you will fast track the healing process. The unconscious mind is in charge. This is the tricky part however – submitting to the abstract directives of the unconscious mind where the ‘instructions’ may not make any logical sense. In this process, you really need to imagine that you are dreaming, and simply accept what comes. My guidance in this process helps clients stay on track. It is a deep process but it can be very powerful. I combine the perfect blueprint hypnosis with a white light healing, which is a restorative process of self healing.
I also perform the types of hypnosis used in dental and other surgery, such as moving the pain around the body, diluting the pain, and freezing the pain. Different people respond to different techniques, but they can all be very effective. Recently I had a client with severe nerve pain in various parts of her body. We began by freezing the pain. That worked for one part of her body, but only partially for the other part. So we then practiced diluting the pain for that remaining part. Dilution techniques weakened the pain considerably but there was still some left. We then completed the job with moving the pain.
Can I do this at home?
Yes! Once you know how to manipulate the pain, you can do it for yourself. The benefit of coming in for a second or third session however is that the result is more powerful, more quickly, with an expert’s guidance. This gives you confidence that it can be done. It is also more powerful to have someone there ‘in your corner’, coaching you to reach your goal. After a few sessions, and a hypnosis recording that I provide to you for guidance, you should not need any further assistance with managing your own pain. If a new type of pain emerges, you may need some assistance again.
Pain management works with many people. The better you become at practicing it, the longer the results remain. Just think of having a tooth pulled without drugs, and not feeling any pain. Imagine having a mastectomy without anesthesia. This concept is almost foreign to most Western minds. But there are people all around the world, experiencing this phenomenon.
If you have pain, and you have the OK from a GP or specialist to try hypnosis, it could work for you too. Contact me for more information.