Pain Relief Without Medication

There Is No Pain Until It Reaches the Brain

Hypnosis and self-hypnosis can take the hurt out of pain.  Hypnosis – for pain management is an amazing tool that when used, produces measurable results in pain relief. The reason for this phenomenon of success is explained in research done at such universities as Yale, Stanford, and Harvard.  The success is in the ability of suggestions to by-pass the cortex, the thinking, and reasoning part of the brain, and goes directly to the Limbic endocrine system of the brain.  The Limbic system is that part of the brain that deals with fear, memory, homeostasis (maintaining a base line for the body) and stress.  What was unknown until recently is that the Limbic system takes its orders through perceptions given to it by the cortex, but even more astounding is that the suggestions can go directly to the Limbic system from external sources and suggestions.  Hypnosis is the most dramatic of the external sources.

Chronic pain is that pain that has lasted for over six months and by medical standards has no purpose.  Phantom limb pain, Fibromyalgia, headaches, and back pain can fall into this category.  Because cells actually have their own consciousness and respond to messages sent to them by the Limbic system hormones (neuro-chemical transmitters), these cells can through thought and hypnotic suggestion recreate their base line feelings of comfort which changes how we physically feel. There is evidence (empirical data) suggesting these cells when given directions by the Limbic system to decrease Cortisol respond favorably.  Cortisol is the stress hormone when received in small amounts protects, however in large amounts over time it can cause arthritis, and other chronic pain syndromes.  The beauty of hypnosis is that it decreases Cortisol levels.

There is nothing mystical or magical about hypnosis.  Hypnosis is simply a state of concentration and focused attention.  It is actually a state of consciousness that we enter naturally, but we usually don’t call it hypnosis.  For example, how many times have we pulled into the parking lot at work with no recollections of what we passed on the way.  We are so focused on our thoughts that we don’t consciously notice what we are driving past.

How does hypnosis work?  We all have a conscious and subconscious mind.  The conscious mind is like the RAM on your computer.  It is the program that acts and reacts to what is in front of you.  The subconscious mind has two basic responsibilities:  to keep all internal systems functioning properly, and to record everything seen, heard, or felt with no distinction of good or bad.  The subconscious is therefore like the hard drive on your computer.  Everything you have seen, heard, or felt either good or bad is recorded within the subconscious mind.  The professionally trained hypnotist uses relaxing techniques with the client so that the conscious mind is relaxed or distracted in order for the subconscious mind to be open and receptive to specific suggestions as it relates to the clients needs to alter their negative habits.

In a nutshell, Change your mind (change how you think about your pain) – Change your brain (rewire your brain to send signals of comfort not pain) – Change the pain (if it is sharp make it dull, if burning make it cool).  The brain is an amazing thing and can be triggered by our thoughts, our emotions, our memories and our rewards.  You are in control of your thoughts so watch want you think, what you say and what/who you listen to.