Hypnosis: Pain Medication Or Sedation

“What is Hypnosis?” Describe the psychological and physical aspects of hypnosis and discuss the role of relaxation in Hypnotherapy.

What is hypnosis? Hypnosis has amazing benefits and can enhance people lives in many ways. In modern times, it is unfortunate that Hypnosis is seen as a method of entertaining people instead of it being respected for its true aspects. In reality, hypnosis bears little resemblance to these stereotyped images, as it can improve focus and general well-being mentally and physically. It is a cooperative interaction in which the participant responds to the suggestions of the hypnotist. It can also be described as a sleep like trance state or better expressed as a relaxed creative mind, focused by the individual. Despite stories about people being hypnotised out of their consent hypnosis requires voluntary participation on the part of the

It can be used to make patients less nervous before a surgery and can comfort them during recovery. It can also be used to combat the side effects of chemotherapy, radiation, or a chronic illness (World Book). Hypnosis can also help the 25% of Americans who avoid and fear the dentist. After a five minute hypnosis session, patients can be relaxed enough to receive novocaine and the treatment they need inexpensively and without medication (healing power). Finally, hypnosis can help burn victims. These people must have their dead skin removed every day for up to a few months. The process is so painful that most patients must be given powerful painkillers that can be addictive and can cause confusion, gastrointestinal problems, and breathing trouble. Hypnosis can relax the patient and can allow them to go through the treatment without experiencing pain. The hypnosis session is inexpensive and does not require addictive medication (healing power). Despite the evidence that supports the fact that hypnosis is a legitimate approach to treating conditions, many graduate schools have little hypnosis training in their psychology programs (Smith). This needs to change so that more people can become trained hypnotists so the approach can become more widespread. As previously stated, it would benefit hospitals financially and patients physically. It is free, can treat a variety of conditions, has no side effects, and is not addictive. Dr. Spiegel believes that it could even be used in place of addictive opiates. More time and money must be put into research on hypnosis and its practice as it could save hospitals and patients money in the long run and could help a variety of patients heal

Hypnotherapy has been acclimated for bags of years, in assorted forms, throughout a array of cultures. Modern hypnotherapy was accustomed as a medical action in the mid 20th aeon by both British and American Medical Associations. By 1995, the NIH issued a account that accurate affirmation advantaged the use of hypnotherapy for abiding pain.

Hypnosis can be defined as a form of highly focused concentration with relative suspension perplexed awareness used to lessen pain experience. (King.B, 2001) It can also be used alongside analgesics such as morphine. (Bamford.C, 2006) This paper will be discussing the effectiveness of its use to manage pain and related areas based on the benefits and limitations highlighted by various methodologies. These methodologies include decade long observations of case studies, testing on amputees and cancer patients whilst comparing use of pharmacological medicines to use of hypnosis itself. Some of the advantages of hypnosis include how it increases self efficacy by actively allowing patient to control pain symptoms, (Williamson.A, 2004)

The purpose of this essay is to describe and explain the uses of hypnotherapy in the treatment of a medical condition. For this essay I have chosen to look at a chronic life limiting illness called Motor Neurone Disease. This is a disease that can affect many different aspects of a person’s life and is very aggressive in its symptoms. I have met quite a few people with this condition whilst working in the Neurophysiology department at the QMC, where all the nerve and muscles studies and EMG’s are performed. It not only changes the person’s life but also the lives of the people around them. I found this research both upsetting and informative.

It will give a brief history of hypnosis. It will look back over the century's to the many people who have influenced the progression of hypnosis, to how it is seen and practiced to this day. It will discuss the role of relaxation and what happens to achieve relaxation.

When you are anxious or depressed, it feeds into your pain level. By improving your mental outlook, hypnosis can reduce the pain that you experience. In addition, hypnosis can limit the perception of pain by working with your subconscious. Pain is experienced when receptors in your mind receive signals from your body. Hypnosis helps to reroute these signals so that your mind does not hear the pain messengers. As a result, you experience a lower intensity and duration of pain. Since nausea and many other side effects operate on the same principle, you can also reduce the severity of symptoms that you

This study measures the efficacy of hypnosis in older hospitalized patients. Hypnosis and massage are being compared to see which is the most effective among elderly hospitalized patients. There was a single center randomized controlled trial using fifty three patients. In both groups of elderly patients pain decreased significantly after each session of hypnosis. Patients under the massage trial measured to have more pain than the hypnosis group.

The question of how hypnosis plays a role in helping in the different aspects of life is a question that is often wondered. Hypnosis can be used in a number of ways in medicine including rehabilitation, psychotherapy, pain relief, etc.. Certain hypnotists have believed that hypnosis is connected to religion. Hypnosis can even play a large role when it comes to surgery and anesthesiology and the patient's reaction to the procedure. Cognitive behavioural therapy is connected to hypnosis in more ways than one. The study of hypnotic relaxation therapy has just become popular in the past few years and is playing a role in clinical studies more often today. Many people misperceive the idea of hypnotists due to the roles they play in popular movies

The patient becomes relaxed and their focused is guided away from the pain during hypnosis. Studies have shown that hypnosis helps “minimize pain in childbirth, blocks pain during medical or dental treatments, and relieves chronic pain stemming from various health conditions” (Pastorino, 2013). Hypnosis cannot take the persons pain away completely but can help the pain become less daunting. There was a study conducted by psychologist and hypnosis researcher Guy H. Montgomery that worked with cancer patients. Some of the patients received a hypnosis session of 15-mintunes before they went under a surgical procedure and some patients just had an “empathic listening session”. The results of the study showed that the hypnotized patients reported less pain, less side effects, and required less pain medication than the non-hypnotized group. (Smith,

While hypnotism was once considered a parlor trick or stage performance, it has enjoyed a growing acceptance by the medical community in recent years. Even Stanford University lists hypnosis as a technique for controlling pain, ending an addiction, handling side effects, managing anxiety and ending a phobia. For chronic pain sufferers, hypnotherapy is often used to help alleviate the pain without medication. This powerful technique has uses in a broad range of conditions, goals and phobias. Whatever you are coping with or are trying to change, hypnosis is a proven technique that can help you.

Cognitive neuroscience is defined as the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition (including perception, thinking, memory, and language) (Meyers & Dewall, 2016, p. 8). With advances in this field, we have managed to create methods of imaging the brain and discover ways in which we perceive things, think, and remember certain events, in turn allowing us a gateway to reduce pain as well as several other benefits. Cognitive neuroscientists are actually researching and experimenting with a well known procedure known as hypnosis, but in regards to minimizing pain by using suggestion. Researchers have utilized and gathered information and data in a laboratory setting as well as comparing results from an fMRI setting with

When considering hypnosis and pain, it becomes important to first provide working definitions of the concepts. Since both hypnosis and pain really heavily on patient assessments and self evaluations, it becomes essential that all ensuing research is discussed on common ground.

Few experiences are more agonizing than the pain accompanying severe burn injuries. Virtual reality therapy (VRT) and hypnosis are two convincing and fascinating treatments for the procedural pain experienced by burn patients. The patients that are hospitalised due to these injuries undergo routine wound care procedures – cleansing and removing dead tissue to prevent infection - that are so excruciating hat even the use of aggressive analgesics (opioids) cannot control the pain (Rd 1/Rd 3). It is at times like these that patients need the most pain relief, thus prevention of trauma during the wound care procedure is essential to minimising procedural pain.