Solution Focused Hypnotherapy has been found in many studies to be a viable therapy for pain management.
Hypnosis is also shown to improve sleep and reduce stress; two factors that can exacerbate the experience of pain.
The NHS Chronic Pain page explains: “The brain and the nerves inside the spine make up the central nervous system. The spinal nerves carry messages from the body to the brain to tell it what’s going on.
“Short, sharp and well localised pain is known as acute pain, which is transferred to the brain via A-Fibres.
“When pain is persistent and not localised, for example the experience of burning, aching or throbbing sensations, we refer to it as chronic pain. Chronic pain signals are transmitted via C-Fibres. Chronic pain changes our brain and nervous system over time. It learns to continue producing pain messages and changes it’s neural pathways to do so, even when these pain messages are no longer serving a purpose. Essentially, your brain becomes increasingly more skilled at producing the pain you’re feeling.
The good news is, just as our brain has learnt to produce these pain messages, it can learn to stop producing them.
Quite simply, pain pathways can be blocked to ‘close the gate’ on pain.
Hypnotherapy, and the Solution Focused practice that works alongside it, helps to create the steady flow of chemicals that help block pain. Many medications, including some anti-depressants work in a similar way. Only with hypnotherapy, there are no side effects or potential addictions.
A relaxed positive state of mind encourages the production of serotonin, the naturally produced chemical that helps us cope with life. Serotonin can, in turn, interrupt pain signals received in the brain. Hypnotherapy can help to ‘teach’ your brain that there is no threat present and as your brain learns this, it will ‘rewire’ itself so that you can start feeling relief from your symptoms.
If you would like further information or to book an initial consultation please contact me.