Pain Management

What is the purpose of pain and how can we treat it?

The ability to feel pain is actually a natural and important part of us. Pain serves a useful purpose in alerting us to potential injury. Thanks to our pain receptors, a hand placed on a hot stove will send a message to our brains fast and efficiently so that we immediately remove the hand away from the danger. Similarly the pain and discomfort caused by a splinter allows us to locate and remove the foreign object before it becomes too embedded in our skin. About one in a million people are born without a sense of pain. This can result in serious injury or even early death. It is important to appreciate the function of pain, as such it is important for hypnotherapists or anyone working in pain relief to ensure that the source of pain has been properly investigated before attempting to reduce the discomfort.

Pain is a subjective experience so what might be incredibly painful for one person might be hardly noticeable for another. Those with a heightened sense of pain might find that it has a negative impact on their emotional state and can impact on their abilities to carry out daily activities. Some people have persistent pain which lasts for many weeks at a time either because there is no known treatment for their condition or because pain persists despite there being no identifiable physical cause. Pain that lasts more than a couple of months is known as chronic pain. Sufferers of chronic pain may be diagnosed with conditions such as:

• arthritis

• irritable bowel syndrome,

• endometriosis

• diabetes,

• fibromyalgia,

• back pain,

• headaches and migraines.

Often the pain experienced by sufferers of chronic pain is no longer useful. They are aware of the problem, have sought and received treatment but the pain does not subside. Being in pain for weeks at a time is exhausting and can interfere with people's enjoyment of life.

Consequently people who experience this sort of pain may choose to relieve their pain with medication or hypnotherapy. Similarly, women who experience excessive menstrual pain may wish to pursue pain relief. Some medications can be costly, irritate the digestive system or be unsuitable for long term use. Clinical hypnosis can empower patients to manage their own pain at any time and doesn't produce the negative effects of some tablets. There is no pain centre of the brain, the experience of pain is felt through the nervous system in what is referred to as the "pain matrix". Hypnosis is able influence this network so that the intensity of the pain is reduced. Hypnosis is also able to reduce associated symptoms such as inflammation.

If you are experiencing unnecessary pain which has already been investigated by your GP and you are interested in how clinical hypnosis can help you manage your symptoms get in touch today. olivia@liv-better.co.uk 07716270759