pain reduction, management and control

Therapies that address the mind-body link are often recommended for those dealing with long-term pain. Stress and anxiety are common side effects of pain and can even make the sensation 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 pain can therefore make a huge difference to pain perception. For this, many opt for hypnotherapy and meditation.

hypnotherapy and pain

When you are hypnotised, you focus on relaxation and letting go of distracting thoughts. This temporarily tunes out the conscious part of your mind, opening you up to the power of suggestion. At this point suggestions are made to encourage pain relief. It is also beneficial for you to carry out self-hypnosis after the session.

Hypnosis for pain 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.

Hypnosis for pain also refocuses your mind away from the pain and onto something more pleasant e.g. using visualisation techniques can help to distract you from your pain.

The number of sessions you'll need will depend on your individual circumstances, however hypnosis for pain usually lasts between 3 and 6 sessions. I also make recordings for you to use at home so you can continue to use the techniques.

Mindfulness meditation and pain

Research has found that meditation increases activity in regions of the brain related to the processing of emotion and of cognitive control – areas where the sensations of pain are actually interpreted and ‘built’. These brain areas modulate the sensations of pain and give it ‘meaning’ before it is consciously felt.

What’s more, experienced meditators tend to have enhanced activity in these regions and to experience less pain. That is, they tended to devote more brain power in this region to moderating the pain-related information – and to, in effect, turning down its ‘volume’.

I can teach you mindfulness meditation techniques to help turn down the pain during one-to-one sessions. Also, you will also benefit from booking onto my 8 week mindfulness meditation course.