One of the first uses of hypnosis in the medical setting was for pain control. Before modern anesthesia was discovered, dentists used hypnosis before tooth extractions and fillings. Hypnosis allows people in pain to focus on areas of their bodies and amplify those feelings. Hypnotists guide people to states of relaxation where they experience their pain differently – essentially suffering is removed from the pain experience.
Hospice patients and those receiving palliative care have experienced relief from severe pain through the use of mindfulness exercise, guided imagery, and hypnosis. People who have had phantom limb pain due to amputations experience great relief – without medication – through the use of hypnosis. And when a person is taught self-hypnosis, they are empowered to take back control of that part of their life that had been causing them discomfort.