Relieve Pain

Living with pain on a daily basis can be incredibly difficult – both physically and mentally and can severely impact your life in so many ways.

For example, coping with long-term pain can lead to increased levels of stress, anxiety, depression, a lack of sleep, relationship, career and money issues and sleep problems too. However things can be different.

There are many causes of long-term chronic pain, including illness, such as cancer, and conditions such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, migraines and sciatica. Addressing the mind-body link is essential to deal with long-term pain. Stress and anxiety are common side effects of pain and can even make the sensations feel worse. The way the mind responds to pain also links to the perception of physical sensations.

Helping to reduce stress and change the thought patterns related to the pain can therefore make a huge difference to pain perception. Hypnotherapy is a great way to manage pain and increase levels of comfort.

Everyone experiences pain differently.

Everyone experiences pain differently and it is important Amy understands your pain levels, type of pain, where it is, when you experience it and how you want to feel.* You may use words like achy, sore, bruised, throbbing, agonising, burning, heavy, itchy, raw, stabbing, sharp, tight, tender or dull to describe your sensations.

Where is your current level of pain?

0 is Pain free

At this level you are completely comfortable.

 1 – 3 is Mild and Manageable Pain

Manageable pain ranges from barely noticeable to gently distracting pain at 3. At this level you are able to adapt and continue to function with your daily activities.

4 – 6 is Moderate to Severe Pain

Moderate pain begins to impact your daily functions and can be difficult to ignore it. At level 4 your pain becomes a distraction but you’re still able to focus on tasks. At a level 6 the pain makes it difficult to concentrate on tasks.

7 – 9 is Severe to Intense Pain

Severe pain makes it virtually impossible to complete day to day activities, or even to live without support. A pain level of 7 makes it hard to sleep, maintain relationships and go about your daily activities. At a level 9 it is considered excruciating making it hard to even speak.

10 is Unspeakable /Unimaginable Pain

This is the highest level of pain and is the worst pain imaginable. At a level 10 you may be delirious and be unable to move or speak.

There are different types of pain. There are two main types:

• Acute pain starts suddenly and is short-term. It signals us to something being wrong and alerts us to get help. It is usually a result of an accident or temporary illness. If you are suffering from acute pain it is important to see a doctor to get a diagnosis.
• Chronic pain is longer term. The pain may be a result of a medical condition, or there may not be any obvious cause. Investigations, tests or treatments may have been investigated and not been successful. This doesn’t mean the pain isn’t real. Many people say hypnotherapy is an effective tool to use for chronic pain management plan. An important aspect of pain management is the link between the body and mind.

Other types of pain:

• Breakthrough pain often happens in between regular, scheduled painkillers.
• Bone pain is possible with certain illnesses.
• Soft tissue pain happens when organs, muscles or skin tissues are damaged or inflamed.
• Nerve pain happens when a nerve is infected or damaged.
• Referred pain occurs when pain is felt in another part of the body due to injury or infection somewhere else.
• Phantom pain is felt in a part of the body that no longer exists.
• Emotional pain occurs for many reasons including loss and distress. This can impact our resilience to physical pain too.

Hypnotherapy to relieve pain

When you are under hypnosis you naturally and temporarily tune out the conscious part of your mind, opening you up to the power of suggestion. At this point I will work appropriately to encourage pain relief and a more comfortable set of sensations. A necessary part of hypnosis for pain management, as with many other issues, is to give post-hypnotic suggestions, allowing the subconscious mind to continue working after the hypnosis is over. Of course, what is most important for you is comfort in your everyday life.

As all hypnosis is self-hypnosis you are likely to be taught how to best facilitate hypnosis for yourself for you own therapeutic benefit too. Amy is simply a facilitator of the hypnotic state for most effective benefit. Amy, with your permission, will be likely to record a session for you to use at home too.

Hypnosis for pain involves establishing what you currently feel and what you would like to feel, aims to manage any fear and anxiety you may have relating to your pain. It also helps to reduce stress and relax the nervous system to help it become less reactive to pain.

The number of sessions you will have will depend on your individual circumstances. However, hypnosis for pain management usually lasts between five and 10 sessions.*

There are various factors that influence pain and these include:

• Age
• Health
• Physical Fitness
• Gender
• Emotional status
• Sleep
• Genes
• Relationship dynamics
• Upbringing
• Weather
• Trauma
• Smoking

I am more than happy to talk to you and discuss your personal situation.  Email or call for more information on how hypnotherapy can help you.

* It is important to note that with all pain related issues that you have seen your GP first to establish any underlying cause that requires treatment.

‘Turn your wounds into wisdom’ Oprah Winfrey