Hypnotherapy and Pain
Pain is physical, but the experience of pain is also affected by attention, tension, fear, stress, sleep, and the meaning the pain has taken on.
Physical causes of pain need to be medically evaluated. Hypnotherapy can also explore whether an emotional issue may be contributing to the pain or connected with it. When we find a meaningful emotional connection, we can work toward resolving it and see whether the pain changes as a result.
Whether or not an emotional connection becomes clear, we can also work with tension around the pain, fear of the next flare, frustration, difficulty sleeping, or the way attention becomes locked onto the sensation.
What We May Work With
- relaxation and reducing unnecessary tension
- fear or anticipation connected with pain
- the way attention responds to pain signals
- sleep disruption
- self-hypnosis skills that can be used between sessions
- emotional responses connected with an injury or long period of pain
For new, severe, or unexplained pain, the cause should be medically evaluated first.
Once that part is understood, hypnotherapy can be used alongside the care you are already receiving.