Hypnosis has always been highly effective for reducing pain. In a study published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings, issue 80(4) 2005 (www.mayoclinicproceedings.com), hypnosis was used on test subjects subjected to great pain using a blood pressure cuff as a tournaquet. It was inflated far more than normal, to a pressure of 250, until the subjects reported an “8” or more on the 1 to 10 pain scale. After the use of hypnosis, all subjects reported the pain was reduced to “0” (no pain).
Before modern anesthesia, hypnosis was used in surgery. In some cases it was the only form of pain control. In other cases, it was used as an adjunct to anesthesia. In the 19th century, the English surgeon John Elliotson and the Scottish surgeon James Esdaile performed hundreds of surgical procedures using only hypnosis for anesthesia with great results.
In more modern news, in January, 2009, Belgium’s Queen Fabiola, age 80, underwent thyroid surgery using only hypnosis. The surgery took place at the University Hospital of Liege, Belgium, which has conducted over 4,000 operations using only hypnosis. It is especially useful for the older patients because general anesthesia has more harmful side effects on the elderly.
Below is a list of common uses of hypnosis to relieve pain. Chronic Pain Management, general Pain Relief, Arthritis Pain Relief, Knee Pain Relief, Hip Pain Relief, Childbirth Hypnosis, Phantom Limb Pain, Fibromyalgia Pain, and Myofascial Pain.
