Chronic pain management therapy explained

We all suffer pain during different parts of our lives and for different reasons. For some, pain may be temporary and bearable, but for others it may be long term and chronic.
Pain affects adults and children. Suffering from chronic pain can severely affect your quality of life as well as impacting on everyday activities other people consider normal. Pain isn’t just physical, it causes distress and can affect your psychological and emotional well being.
There are many pain management guidelines and solutions that can be put in place to help you manage your pain. It is not widely known that working with a trained counsellor and psychotherapist is one way to help resolve these issues. At Pinnacle we can help with pain management offering tangible, practical solutions.

Using psychotherapy for chronic pain management primarily looks at improving your physical, emotional, social and occupational health rather than resolving the pain itself.

Our approach to pain management

Learning to manage and cope with pain is not an easy task. There is growing evidence that many talking therapies can aid in the management of issues such as sciatica pain and chronic back pain. We can work with you and teach you how to react and manage your pain which in turn will reduce any mental suffering you are experiencing.

“Hypnosis is a great way to reduce pain in chronic conditions like arthritis and fibromyalgia. Studies show that more than 75% of people with arthritis and related diseases experience significant pain relief using hypnosis.”
Richard Reid – CEO, Therapist & Coaching Psychologist

Using hypnotherapy for chronic pain

We know that ‘one size doesn’t fit all’ and that each of our clients is different with their own set of unique needs and circumstances. We use a combination of therapies for pain management, one of the primary treatments is hypnotherapy.

What is hypnotherapy?

We actually experience hypnosis all the time naturally. Daydreaming is a form of hypnosis, for example. Similarly, when we arrive at a destination in our car without being aware of how we got there. That’s a form of hypnosis too. We drift in and out of the state all the time.
All we really do with this form of treatment is harness that state to create a form of deep relaxation that enables us to access parts of the brain that are blocked by conscious thought.

By altering your state of consciousness, through the use of hypnosis and positive suggestion, we can help you to change aspects of yourself – for example your behaviour or your feelings.

How hypnotherapy for the management of chronic pain works

Hypnotherapy can have a positive effect for people who are struggling to keep control of their emotions and behaviours. Through hypnosis we can teach you simple alternatives of how to express yourself so that you can strengthen relationships rather than damage them.
Changing your behaviour will change how you feel about yourself and how you interact with those closest to you, and the world in general. You’ll learn to express your feelings and needs positively, regain your life and start to transform the most important relationships in your life.

How does a hypnotherapy for pain relief session work?

During your first session of hypnotherapy, the clinical hypnotherapist will ask you specific questions about your lifestyle and overall health in order for you both to decide on what your goals will be during the therapy.
While under hypnosis, a patient will exhibit enhanced awareness and responsiveness, which allows the hypnotherapist to bypass the rational part of the brain to the more receptive subconscious and introduce new, positive thoughts and perspectives. You will also be more open to suggestion so that together we can help you change behaviour.

What can you expect from a hypnotherapy session?

Our hypnotherapy sessions are tailored to suit your needs. Each session usually lasts from 30 minutes to an hour; with courses usually consisting of around 6 to 12 sessions.