An effective and efficient alternative to prescription pain medications was confirmed in a landmark meta-analysis (a study of studies) of 85 studies across 14 countries: hypnosis. Collecting data from more than 3,600 participants in various research studies, researchers in the Psychology Department at the University of Greenwich (London) found “compelling evidence” that hypnosis reduced pain by as much as 40 percent, with the average being a 30 percent drop in pain.*
Medical professionals and researchers use a scale to rank patient’s/participants’ pain levels; this pain scale is called “SUDS” – Subjective Units of Distress Scale, and it goes from zero to ten, with zero being no pain and ten being the most severe pain that can be imagined. This is the scale you see in doctor’s offices and in hospitals which is used to rate pain and guide pain-relief strategies. A finding of a 5 level of pain on the scale is considered to be the threshold where pain disrupts daily lives.
To put the findings of this study in perspective, a person who rated their pain at a level at a 5 could reduce that level to a 3 using hypnosis, a person whose pain level was an 8 could reduce it to a 5 using hypnosis. Pain levels below a 5 are reported to be effectively managed with OTC (non-narcotic) pain medications. When asked, most people living with chronic pain say their quality of lives would improve dramatically if their pain level was a 5 or below.
New Jersey Hypnosis Training offers personalized hypnosis sessions, self-hypnosis training, and mindfulness training for pain control. Rusty Williams holds advanced certifications in medical hypnotherapy, hypnosis for pain control, and emergency hypnosis.
*The findings of the study cited in this post are published in Neuroscience & Bio-Behavioral Reviews, April 2019 issue.