Stress and pain are intimately related. When being in pain causes stress or being stressed worsens pain, psychological therapies – including hypnosis, meditation, and relaxation – may help break the cycle.
For pain therapists, these treatments, which focus on the relationship between the mind and body, are considered mainstream. For other health professionals, they may be considered alternative or complementary therapies. Regardless of how they are labeled, there is overwhelming evidence that for many people they work.
The term “hypnosis” often brings to mind a parlor game or nightclub act, where a man with a swinging watch gets volunteers to walk like a chicken or bark like a dog. Clinical or medical hypnosis is much more than fun and games. It is an altered state of awareness used by licensed therapists to treat a variety of psychological or physical problems.
During hypnosis, the conscious part of the brain is temporarily tuned out as the person focuses on relaxation and lets go of distracting thoughts. The American Society of Clinical Hypnotists likens hypnosis to using a magnifying glass to focus the rays of the sun and make them more powerful. When our minds are concentrated and focused, we are able to use them more powerfully.
When hypnotized, a person may experience physiologic changes, such as a slowing of the pulse and respiration, and an increase in alpha brain waves. The person may also become more open to specific suggestions and goals, such as reducing pain. In the post-suggestion phase, the therapist reinforces continued use of the new behavior.
Research has shown medical hypnosis to be particularly helpful for acute and chronic pain. In 1996, a panel of the National Institutes of Health also found hypnosis to be effective in easing cancer pain.
More recent studies have demonstrated its effectiveness for pain related to burns, cancer, and rheumatoid arthritis and reduction of anxiety associated with surgery. An analysis of 18 studies by researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York revealed moderate to large pain-relieving effects from hypnosis, supporting the effectiveness of hypnotic techniques for pain management.
While highly trained in the practice of medical hypnosis, Dr. Bresler prefers to accomplish the very same outcomes using Interactive Guided Imagery℠ since it remains under the control of the patient who has been taught how to use it.
