How big of a problem is Chronic Pain?
How big a problem is chronic pain?
Chronic pain has been linked to numerous physical and mental conditions, and contributes to high health care costs and lost productivity. (1)
Chronic pain, one of the most common reasons adults seek medical care. (2)
It is estimated that between at least 20% and in some sub-groups 40% of people are experiencing chronic pain at any given time.
This is linked to:
- restrictions in mobility and daily activities (3,4),
- dependence on opioids (5),
- anxiety and depression (3),
- and poor perceived health or reduced quality of life
Chronic pain is a huge problem. In the USA alone chronic pain contributes to an estimated $560 billion each year in direct medical costs, lost productivity, and disability programs.
Despite an abundance of pain killers on the market, and a wide variety of physical therapies, chronic pain continues to be the experience for hundreds of millions of people. Plus, it's incidence is on the rise. (6)
Is there...
Science Supports Hypnosis for Pain Control
Hypnosis is a tool that offers considerable leverage in changing behaviours and experiences related to pain. (1)
We believe that a clear understanding of the nature of pain, and an awareness of the evidence that hypnotic techniques can help, is an excellent step towards freedom from unnecessary suffering. It helps provide a sense of control. It enables you to take responsibility for your well-being.
Tales of seemingly miraculous relief of pain have been associated with hypnosis from antiquity to the present time.
A meta-analysis of controlled trials of hypnotic analgesia indicates that hypnosis can provide significant relief for 75% of the population. (2)
The effect is largest for those who are highly suggestible, but is also relatively large for moderately suggestible people.
Because hypnotic pain control includes a placebo element, almost everyone can experience a reduction in pain through suggestive techniques.
Pain has a 'sensory / physical component', and an...
What is the difference between useful and useless pain?
Understanding Pain
One of the things hypnotherapy can help with is to reduce or eliminate useless and unnecessary chronic pain. We teach all of our students how to do this. It is something many of our hypnotherapy clients seek our help with.
Of course appropriate and competent medical and physical evaluation should always be undertaken, before trying to eliminate pain, because pain can be a signal that something is wrong.
Before attempting to relieve your own, or others pain, ask if that pain is of any use to you? Ask, if you were free of the pain, would that be detrimental to you in any way?
If the answer to these questions is "no", then you may wish to engage in strategies that help relieve or eliminate pain.
That process begins by better understanding pain. Here we highlight the key difference between acute and chronic pain. In other blog posts from us you will learn how it is possible to change our experience of pain, and gain a sense of control over it.
