Chronic pain and fibromyalgia

Chronic pain and fibromyalgia don't define who you are. Hypnotherapy can be very helpful for relief from chronic pain, there has been much success with reducing and even in some cases eliminating chronic pain using the approach detailed below.

First, let us look at what is chronic pain

Chronic pain is often defined as any pain lasting more than 12 weeks. Chronic pain persists often for months or years.

There are many reasons why you may have pain. Examples are arthritis, osteoarthritis, back pain, muscular pains and fibromyalgia. Neuroscience has noted that when acute pain shifts to chronic pain, it can cause marked changes in brain activity and the way the brain works while having an effect on a person's mental abilities. Ongoing chronic pain can also result in a raised level of stress, anxiety, low mood, and depression. Which is why when working with pain, looking at past experience and emotional and mental trauma is important.

Recognising that past unresolved trauma or emotional pain can increase physical pain, it can, therefore, be very beneficial to clear underlying emotions. The reason for this first step is simply because if you have experienced trauma and suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) you are often at a higher risk to develop chronic pain. Emotional stress can lead to stomach pains irritable bowel syndrome, and headaches, and can also cause other physical symptoms, the more anxious and stressed you are, the tenser your muscles are and over time this causes your muscles to become fatigued and inefficient. Resulting in ongoing pain.

During a traumatic event, the nervous system goes into survival mode and sometimes has difficulty returning to a normal, relaxed state again If the nervous system stays in survival mode, stress hormones are constantly released, causing an increase in blood pressure and blood sugar, which can in turn reduce the immune system's ability to heal. You, then start to experience pains in the body as it is functioning and a  constant state of distress.

A typical session for any chronic pain condition including fibromyalgia and M.E. may be similar to this:

• Introduction and initial chat.
• Measure the severity of your pain using a 1-10 scale.
• Ensure all medical test are completed and if a diagnosis has taken place.
• Agreement that you are ready to release the pain.
• Agreement that you will not take on too much when the pain is reduced or eliminated.
• Agreement that you will take daily light exercise.
• The initial release of underlying emotions that are not helpful.
• Increase positive feelings and self-worth.

The aim of a chronic pain session is the reduction and elimination of the pain. Pain is very real and felt physically in the body, however, the signals that are sent to the painful areas are sent from the mind. Your mind sends pain signals as a warning that something is wrong, that you need to pay attention, even when a diagnosis has taken place, chronic pain can continue. It is important prior to attending a session for pain with a hypnotherapist that you have had a medical investigation or diagnosis as the pain reduction methods are based on pain signals that are no longer required or helpful.

You have to be ready emotionally and mentally to let go of the pains signals and be open to change. Remember any diagnosed conditions will still be there, such as arthritis, but the pain can be reduced or eliminated.

It is possible to communicate with the unconscious mind to switch off permanently old pain signals that are no longer required. Finishing with an inner journey of a meditative relaxation and release of tensions, inflammations, and pain, maybe a choice of your-self and your hypnotherapist

Take home relaxation tools are also very helpful and maintain a pleasant, positive state of mind and this is often a choice for clients who are looking to experience this relaxation in their own home.

There are also DIY tools that you can use at home to help manage your chronic pain and here is a method for you to use, your unconscious mind believes everything that you say or imagine and you can support changes for your self through activating your imagination and storytelling, you can do this whenever you wish and an example of this is below.

Meditation exercise to calm your body and mind

Start off by sitting comfortably, somewhere you won’t be disturbed.

• Close your eyes.
• Let your body become still and relaxed, taking deep slow breaths and begin to feel calm and peaceful.
• Just allow your thoughts to pass through your mind.

Now imagine yourself sitting at the side of a beautiful pool, in a most beautiful garden, with a type of wildflowers. So many different colours and scents…. a gentle sun, at a perfect warmth, just relaxing you, even more, it is such a beautiful and peaceful garden and the pool is so blue and the water warmed by the sun, is so tempting.

Just imagine putting your feet in the water and it is just a perfect temperature for you and you start to lower your whole body into the wonderful blue healing pool. You easily find yourself floating in the warm, blue healing pool of water, and can gently feel the healing blueness soothing and wrapping around you, washing away everything that is no longer required, releasing anything you don’t need at this moment, such as pain or emotion. all of it just floating out and away from you. Leaving you feeling calm and comfortable, relaxed and totally at ease, as you feel soothed and calmed by the healing calming waters. You can float in this pool for as long as you like or visit it as often as you wish and just float away all the stresses and strains that you carry within you.