Hypnotherapy and Pain Management

Hypnotherapy is an effective treatment for many varieties of chronic pain. According to ongoing medical studies on the subject, Ericksonian hypnosis (also known as conversational hypnosis) reduces painful symptoms by altering the psychological effects of the pain experience. In a 2003 review of controlled clinical studies, Dr. David Patterson and fellow psychologist Mark Jensen, PhD,found that hypno-analgesis (hypnosis for pain relief) significantly reduced pain ratings, need for sedation, nausea and vomiting, and length of stay in hospitals. In addition, a 2000 medical meta-analysis (study of 18 published studies) by psychologists Guy Montgomery, PhD, Katherine DuHamel, PhD, and William Redd, PhD, indicated that 75% of patients with diverse types of pain experienced substantial relief through hypnosis. (1)

Hypnotherapy has been successfully applied to a wide variety of chronic (long-term) and acute (temporary) pain cases in hospitals, clinics, dental offices and burn care centers. In most cases, the pain is significantly reduced: chronic conditions treatable with hypnotherapy include cancer-related pain, TMJ (temporal-mandibular jaw joint) pain, backache, headache and fibromyalgia. Hypnotherapy also lessens acute pain caused by burn treatment, childbirth, interventional radiology, dental work and various surgical procedures. (1)

Below are links to selected clinical studies on the effectiveness of hypnotherapy for pain management:

• Elkins et al. (2004)This study showed a significant reduction in pain for cancer patients who used hypnotherapy.
• Gay et al. (2002)In this study, osteoarthritic patients underwent hypnotherapy and showed a substantial pain decrease after 4 weeks of treatment.
• Dinges et al. (1997)This study found that hypnotherapy reduced pain in both children and adults with sickle cell disease (SCD).
• Haanen et al. (1991)In this study, hypnotherapy was proven to be 35% more effective than physical therapy in treating fibromyalgia-related pain. (2)

If you suffer from chronic or acute pain, hypnotherapy is a viable and medically sound treatment option. As a certified clinical hypnotherapist, sports therapist, medical meditation consultant, and stress management consultation specialist, Isaac Farin is adept at using Ericksonian hypnosis and mindfulness to solve medical problems. In addition to hypnosis, Isaac pursues strength-based approaches to marriage and family therapy, with special emphasis on solution-oriented therapies, brief, systemic therapy and spiritual approaches to therapy.

(1) Hypnosis for the Relief and Control of Pain. July 2004. American Psychological Association. July 31 2012. http://www.apa.org/research/action/hypnosis.aspx

(2) Hypnotherapy for the Management of Chronic Pain. Abstract. 2009. U.S. National Library of Medicine: National Institutes of Health. July 31 2012. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2752362/

(3) Ericksonian Hypnosis. 2012. Squidoo. August 15 2012. http://www.squidoo.com/ericksonian-hypnosis#module117896981