Hypnosis - Does It Help Or Hurt Your Recovery?

Hypnosis is a deep state of mind that brings about intense concentration and relaxation. This form of natural healing has a long history of use; with there even being evidence to suggest that ancient societies used forms of hypnosis in religious rituals. Hypnosis continues to be used today by psychologists, psychiatrists and by certified hypnosis therapists.

Hypnosis is most often related to entertaining stage shows where an audience participant is hypnotized and then does crazy things, like pretending to be a chicken. Hypnosis is also thought of by some as a tool to use to aid with the cessation of smoking. Hypnosis can be much more than a form of entertainment of a tool of self-help. Hypnosis can also be used to aid in the recovery of illnesses and injuries.

As with the medical field, there are many different forms of hypnosis. In one form of hypnosis, guided imagery is used. With this form, hypnotist guides the person into a relaxed state. This relaxed state is usually accomplished by helping the person visualize his stress and release it.

Hypnotism can also be done through the use of direct suggestion. Through direct suggestion, the hypnotist puts the patient into a trance and repeatedly tells him to feel a certain way. Since the patient is more receptive to suggestion while in this trancelike state, he is easily convinced by direct suggestion.

Hypnosis has been shown to aid individuals with pain relief. In fact, clinical studies have shown it to help relieve pain in patients suffering from cancer, burns and leukemia. It has also been shown to reduce pain in women undergoing childbirth and in dental patients undergoing dental procedures.

Hypnosis has been shown to be an excellent alternative to individuals who do not wish to use highly addictive pain relievers, such as morphine, to relieve chronic pain. In fact, hypnosis has been used by some patients as the only analgesic while undergoing cardiac, abdominal, genitourinary, and breast surgery. Amazingly, those who use hypnosis rather than medicine for pain relief found their relief to be far superior.

Not only have thousands of women used hypnotism to reduce pain during childbirth, many cancer patients also claim that hypnotism reduces pain while undergoing chemotherapy. In addition, many cancer patients believe hypnotism helped them recover from the disease.

Hypnotism has had such amazing results that major hospitals are even beginning to use hypnotism to help patients relieve pain and recover from illness more quickly. In fact, the University of North Carolina uses hypnotism to help patients control irritable bowel syndrome.

The University of Washington's Regional Burn Center uses hypnosis to help patients cope with pain. At this center, patients must undergo painful sterilization treatments, during which they have to remain awake. Narcotics are largely ineffective in reducing the pain, but hypnosis has helped reduce the pain for patients as they receive the treatment. In addition, a Northwestern University found that stroke victims are better able to retain function of limbs through hypnosis.

Several hospitals associated with Harvard Medical School are also using hypnosis to speed up recovery time after surgery. One Harvard study even showed that hypnosis sped up the healing time of bone fractures by many weeks. Hypnosis has become such an accepted form of medical treatment that many insurance companies will pay for hypnosis when it is used as a part of medical program.

Much research has been performed in the effects of hypnosis in recovery. One study was published several years ago that found that hypnotism before surgery helped patients require less pain medication. These patients also experienced fewer complications and were able to leave the hospital quicker than patients who did not receive hypnosis. Additional research has show that hypnotism actually alters brain functioning and activates specific regions of the brain that control the ability to focus and to pay attention.

Even those who support the use of hypnotism believe that it doesn't work for everyone and that some people are more easily hypnotized than others. Hypnotism has also drawn skepticism from onlookers who believe it does not truly put people in a trance. Instead, skeptics believe hypnotism only works because the patient believes it works. Whatever the cause, hypnotism has successfully helped people for hundreds of years.