I used to work out of a chiropractor’s office in Beverly Hills. Although many patients would have been great candidates for hypnotherapy, the nature of the office was that most clients were personal injury cases referred by attorneys. Therefore, the chiropractor was unwilling to have her patients see me.
She failed to understand the benefits of hypnotherapy, what it could accomplish for her patients, especially those in continuous pain.
The situation came to a head with a patient suffering upper back and neck pain. The chiropractor had the client relaxed after a massage, which enabled her to make an adjustment more easily.
The patient complained afterward that even though he was feeling better, he wanted pain medication.
The chiropractor explained that only non-prescription homeopathic pain meds were available through her office, and he would have to pay for them. The patient felt the meds should be provided free.
The chiropractor said his only alternative was to return to his referring physician and ask for pain meds. He still would have to pay for them. The patient remained upset.
Could It Be My Turn?
The chiropractor and patient were at an impasse.
I asked to spend a few minutes with the patient. Reluctantly, she approved.
I took the patient into my small work area and hypnotized him. He responded well to the initial induction. Soon he was in a good, deep hypnotic state.
I asked him to visualize the area of pain as a deep red ball. Put his left arm out straight, palm up, and move the “ball” of pain from his neck and upper back down his arm to his hand.
Visualize the ball of pain in your hand, I said, and turn the color from red to blue. Now crush the ball, open your hand and blow away the crumbled remains.
He followed suggestions well. When he opened his eyes, I could see the relief all in his face and in his body language. The pain was gone.
He continued with the prescribed chiropractic care and massage therapy, but he never did buy pain meds.
Skeptics Surface Again
Four weeks later, I asked how he was doing.
The chiropractic treatment was progressing, he said, and he was feeling better. When the pain flared, he would relax the way I had shown him and rid himself of the discomfort. In his mind, the hypnosis was the most effective the treatment he had received.
Most doctors and hospitals seem preoccupied with ensuring that their patients are pain free. They constantly ask about the level of pain. They liberally hand out pain medications in large quantities to ensure the comfort of the patient.
Sometimes patients become so dependant they are unable to live without the pain medications.
Hypnotherapy repeatedly has been proven effective in dealing with all types of pain.
When a patient uses the tools provided by a hypnotherapist, he can expect dependence upon any pain medications to disappear.
The Henry Mayo network of hospitals has found that hypnotherapy works for pain. UCLA determined it is effective particularly with children who are chronic pain sufferers.
Surveys have been conducted following people who have had, and, still have, chronic pain.
In each case, the pain continued for patients who insisted on maintaining pain medications in increasing quantities. Users of hypnotherapy reduced their pain levels significantly within three months. After five years, they were experiencing a significantly less level of pain than those taking meds.
Let me encourage anyone experiencing ongoing pain to see me.
A clinical hypnotherapist, handwriting analyst and expert master hypnotist, Nicholas Pollak may be contacted at nickpollak@hypnotherapy4you.net
