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Acupuncture and Hypnosis as a Means of Relieving Pain

Both acupuncture as well as hypnosis is often used in many pain management centers throughout the United States to help patients to cope better with their health problems. Sometimes they are used separately while other times they are used in conjunction with one another. Both acupuncture and hypnosis are effective forms of pain relief within the realm of alternative medicine. Other types of alternative medicine that are commonly used that do not involve drugs include biofeedback, massage, physical therapy and relaxation techniques and training.

Acupuncture has been found to be especially helpful at relieving pain when it comes to those who suffer from constant headaches and back pains. Pain that is caused by arthritis, which includes osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis as well as fibromyalgia and carpal tunnel syndrome are often helped by way of the treatment of acupuncture. Acupuncture has also been shown to help relieve pain for people who suffer from musculosketal injuries (such as injuries to the neck, shoulders, elbows or knees) as well as pain related to cancer and pain that occurs during labor. It is not clear exactly how acupuncture helps to relieve pain. Many different theories have been put forth which have all been based on scientific reasoning but nothing has been proven conclusively to date.

Hypnosis is believed to be a "focused state of concentration." Self-hypnosis involves repeating a positive statement to yourself over and over again while another form, known as guided imager is a "technique designed to create relaxing images in your mind." Both of these forms of hypnosis are very basic and both are effective methods of reducing the amount of pain a person suffers due to a condition. More and more research studies are looking into how hypnosis can be used following surgery as well as while a woman is in labor. Other instances where hypnosis is showing promise is when it comes to irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, arthritis, headaches (both migraine headaches as well as tension headaches) and pain suffered due to cancer (both in children and adults) as well as a myriad of other health conditions.

Hypnosis when it is used as therapy is referred to as hypnotherapy. It is a form of psychological therapy or a form of counselling that uses hypnosis as a tool for healing. The use of hypnosis helps to make therapy for a problem whether it involves physical or psychological pain, both happen quicker and also allow it to be as effective as possible. Change is made possible by way of hypnosis. Hypnotherapy works by getting rid of symptoms and it does this by addressing the subconscious root of the symptoms. Most often this related to a "fixed idea" that was somehow placed or imprinted in an individual's subconscious mind when they were under circumstances that can only be described as very emotional and/or stressful in nature. Hypnosis helps to open the door to the subconscious mind and allows those thoughts out. With the permission of the individual information ids given to the person by a therapist that helps to unlock the problems that reside in the subconscious mind. Scripts built into the subconscious can then be reprogrammed into healthy, positive thoughts that can help free the person from the pain they are suffering with.