Pain Management
Hypnosis has
long been understood to produce varied effects in subjects.
Although the public at large tends to associate hypnosis with
stage performances and bad sit-com episodes, the medical
community has approached the topic in a different vein.
Originally viewed as a magical cure-all, hypnosis has undergone
tremendous amounts of scientific testing in modern times. When
used in an appropriate manner, hypnosis has proven itself to be
an effective tool in pain management and pain perception.
Hypnosis became a popular method to assist
childbirth with the creation of "Hypnobirthing".
Painless
childbirth is a combination of different hypnosis
techniques to address the different issues around childbirth.
Hypnosis for sedation was used widely before the development of
safe and effective surgical anesthesia (Chaves & Dworkin, 1997).
In the 19th century, it served as the sole anesthetic for minor
and major surgeries in India. Physiologic benefits from hypnosis
were observed, but not understood. These benefits included
decreased heart rate, decreased respirations, improved mood, and
overall relaxation. In the past decade, the use of hypnosis has
increased as a complementary therapy in the management of pain
in the acute care setting as well as in outpatient settings. It
has been shown to be effective in reducing both
clinical and
experimental pain (Chaves & Dworkin, 1997; Doody et al., 1991;
Montgomery et al., 2000). The interest to incorporate hypnosis
into clinical practice has increased because it is
cost-effective and recent neuro imaging studies have
provided an increased understanding of the mechanism of action
of hypnosis (Patterson & Jensen, 2003).
Hypnosis can be an excellent alternative
for those looking to ease pain through alternative means, rather
than pills and needles. While it is often not recommended that
you stop taking the medications you are prescribed, but hypnosis
can greatly reduce pain and put a patients mind at ease, thus
reducing the amount of pain medication you’ll need to take.
When you factor in fewer anesthesias, faster recovery and
overall less cost potential—suddenly hypnosis seems like a
perfectly reasonable alternative and/or compliment to more
traditional forms of medical practices.
Additionally, hypnotherapy and cancer
treatment allows a person to become more relaxed before
treatment, thus further elevating pain. In regards to
Mesothelioma (similar to lung cancer), hypnosis has become a
common alternative therapy for some patients. Many of these
patients have reported exactly what patients with other types of
cancer have, that if done correctly it eases pain and replaces
painful sensations with more soothing effects.
For more Mesothelioma information
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As more information about
negative drug side effects become known, drug free alternatives
for pain management will continue to become more popular.
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to make an appointment in Salem, Oregon.
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