“Hypnosis” comes from the Greek word hypnos, or “sleep”. Hypnotherapists use special techniques to put the patient into a trance, a deeply relaxing and meditative state. Lots of people experience states that are trance-like while watching television, sitting in their vehicle at a red light or daydreaming. Someone in a trance state might appear to be sleepy, yet they are more acutely responsive to certain instructions or concepts than they would be otherwise. While such human qualities have been used in negative ways in the past, they can also be quite helpful in assisting a person with many painful or limiting conditions. This article explores some of these.
Hypnotherapy is used in a wide range of places, from emergency rooms to the dental chair. It has helped cure problems that seemed to be purely physical in nature. Conditions that have a largely emotional or psychological nature have been resolved using it - see hypnosis berkshire for specific examples.
Contrary to popular belief, the hypnotherapist does not have total control over the client’s consciousness. Actually, as described at hypnosis oxford, hypnotherapy assists people in mastering their own state of awareness. By these means, they are able to achieve positive changes in their bodily processes and responses that are psychological in origin. A visit to a hypnotherapist can assist you in becoming able to control your impulses. An arthritis sufferer might be advised that they can reduce the intensity of their discomfort like turning down the volume on a radio.
Hypnotherapy has been successfully used to treat conditions including Crohn’s disease, anxiety, asthma, phobias, bed-wetting, weight loss and even severe pain. A team of scientists from the UK recently showed the benefits of using hypnosis to help alleviate chest pain that is not directly related to a heart problem.
The small British study found that hypnotherapy provided pain relief for twelve out of fifteen people. 28 patients were studied at the Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester over a 17 week period. They were separated into two groups for the trial; one of these received twelve sessions of hypnotherapy and the second was given supportive therapy and placebo medication. There was decreased intensity in chest pain in 80% of those in the hypnotherapy group, which came as a surprise to many.