Hypnotherapy for Chronic Pain

When pain won't go away

 

Living with pain that lasts for months or years affects everything: sleep, mood, work, relationships and how much you feel able to do. Pain, stress and worry also feed one another, which can leave you feeling stuck in a cycle that is hard to break.

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I offer solution focused hypnotherapy for people living with chronic pain, in Edinburgh and online. It is not a replacement for medical care, and it does not claim to remove the cause of your pain. It is a way of working with how your nervous system and attention respond to pain, and of building confidence and ease around what you can do.

 

Why the brain matters in persistent pain

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Pain is produced by the brain and nervous system, not simply by tissue damage. When pain continues for a long time, the nervous system can become more sensitive and more watchful, and stress, poor sleep and low mood can turn the volume up further. That is not "all in your head". It is a real physical process, and it is one of the reasons psychological approaches can be useful.

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Having trained as a genetic counsellor and worked as a science teacher, I enjoy explaining how this works in plain language. Many clients say that understanding it makes their symptoms feel less frightening.

 

What we work on together

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• Calming the stress response. Learning to settle an overactive threat system so that your body can relax more easily.

• Changing your relationship with pain. Hypnosis can help shift attention, build comfort and ease, and reduce the distress that surrounds pain.

• Sleep and energy. Many people with chronic pain are exhausted. We can work on winding down and restful sleep.

• Mood and confidence. Building on what you can do and what matters to you, rather than only what you have lost.

• Practical tools. Self-hypnosis and relaxation practice you can use at home or when pain flares.

 

Sessions are solution focused. We spend our time on what you would like to be different and the small signs of progress that are already there.

 

What research suggests

 

Research into hypnosis for chronic pain is encouraging, and studies suggest it can help some people reduce how intense and how distressing their pain feels. The evidence is less consistent than for some other conditions, and results vary a great deal between individuals. I will be honest with you about what is realistic, and we will review progress together.

 

Conditions I often support people with

 

I work with the stress, anxiety, sleep difficulty and pain that can accompany long-term conditions, including:

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• Persistent back, neck and joint pain

• Fibromyalgia

• Chronic headaches and tension

• Hypermobility spectrum conditions and Ehlers-Danlos syndromes

• IBS and other functional gut symptoms

• Fatigue and poor sleep

 

I support coping, comfort and wellbeing. I do not diagnose or treat the underlying condition.

 

Working alongside your healthcare team

 

Please make sure that your pain has been assessed by your GP or specialist. I am happy to work alongside your GP, physiotherapist, pain clinic or other professionals, and I encourage you to let them know you are seeing me.

 

Common questions

 

Will hypnosis take my pain away?

I can't promise that. Some people notice less pain, others find that pain bothers them less, and others notice improvements in sleep, mood or confidence first.

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I find it hard to relax when I am in pain. Can I still do this?

Yes. Hypnosis does not require you to lie flat or stay still. We can adapt sessions to your comfort, and sessions can be done online from home.