Pain can be defined as a disagreeable sensation ranging from mild, localized discomfort to misery. This sensation has both physiological and emotional aspects. Pain frequently is responsible for a lack of activity and activity. Such persons experience exhaustion and psychologically stressed. Frequently, people find that this sensation can create difficulties with career, home, and interpersonal ties.  

When the body is injured, it discharges alarms that signal the brain that something is wrong. The brain receives this message as pain, and notifies the person of the injury. The person then reacts to the alarm, and attempts to resolve it. Sometimes, however, the brain receives a painful signal in the absence of injury. This can occur when the signal has a psychological, rather than an actual, cause.  

One approach to resolving painful feelings is with medicine. Non-narcotic medications, such as Tylenol or Aleve, block cells from releasing messages responsible for notifying the brain of injury. Narcotic medicines, however, attach to neurons in the brain and tell them that the injury has been addressed. Narcotics, such as morphine and Dilaudid, may often be very addictive and result in dependency in those who rely on them for long periods as pain management strategies.

The body also releases substances called endorphins. These are natural painkillers, released by the brain's cells to advise the body that it does not hurt. Runners, for example, release endorphins while running long distances; this is the source of the "runner's high" often discussed by those who are running enthusiasts. People who like to participate in other sports describe a similar endorphin high. Frequently, sports professionals are able to participate despite an injury due to the presence of these endorphins in their bodies.  

Another way to treat painful experiences is the technique of diversion, or coached imagery. People are instructed to concentrate on an image or to imagine a secure and comfortable scene that offers relief from the feelings they are experiencing. Another distraction technique involves the use of music or other activities. These strategies sometimes are very helpful to patients who suffer from ongoing lower back pain.

Persons can also experience a reprieve with hypnotherapy and Neuro-Linguistic programming techniques. Nature's own pain relief procedures can allow people to receive relief from a number of long-term problems, including migraines and other frequent, disabling headaches or throbbing neck pain. A large number of people report being able to significantly limit, or totally end taking drugs through using these methods.  

Traditional hypnosis pain alleviation methods work most effectively for those who are open to post-hypnotic suggestions. A professional hypnotherapist aids the person to go into a very relaxed state. During this time, the client is very aware of the suggestions being made by the therapist.  

The hypnotherapist might ask the client to focus on other activities or tasks, and that distraction will lessen any sense of discomfort. In fact, the mere use of the word discomfort in the middle of a hypnotic session rather than the use of the word pain can greatly diminish any sensation of pain. Many clients get amazing results, and they can be coached to practice self-hypnosis for pain relief to gain personal control of their situations.

More critical clients typically require either Erickson-based hypnosis or NLP to bypass their conscious resistance to suggestion.

The hypnosis strategy for pain treatment can also be employed to teach the brain to discharge endorphins which can result in a state of light anesthesia, which is known as analgesia. This state can also be used to help women to experience natural childbirth without using painkillers that may cause harm to the baby. It also can help provide natural arthritis pain relief in long-term sufferers.

Hypnosis is also able to be used to induce a state of complete anesthesia in certain persons. This is referred to in medical literature as hypnoanesthesia. In days before general anesthesia became popularly available to patients, many doctors used hypo anesthesia to perform major surgery.  

Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) can be used to assist persons who tend to think critically or analytically. Professionals help clients to perfect a very beneficial technique utilized by NLP, called the 'Flash'. The Flash aids people to train their subconscious minds to instantly avoid a painful sensation, and to focus on thoughts that will offer relaxation and comfort. Individuals who have mastered this approach find that they are no longer able to concentrate on the pain, because their minds instantly swap it for comforting ideas.

Both NLP and hypnosis are new treatments that offer completely natural methods of pain relief. They aid people to avoid painkillers or decrease their requirement for these medications. Both clients who very suggestible and those who think analytically can receive help from these program formats. In addition, both are greatly beneficial in assisting people to experience a reprieve from their pain.

At the moment, many options are available for receiving this manner of assistance. Professionals typically charge from $150.00 to $200.00 per hour. Anyone who has tried this treatment approach this type of therapy will agree that the expense involved was definitely worth it. However, another more affordable course of treatment may be investing in one of the highly reputable hypnosis CD programs that are offered for purchase.

Summary: People experience both physical and emotional pain. Multiple treatment approaches can be used; such as narcotic and non-narcotic medicines, as well as guided imagery and diversion strategies. The most consistently effective techniques for relieving pain, however, are NLP and hypnotherapy.

Alan B. Densky, CH has been helping clients with hypnosis pain relief since 1978. A famous authority in the hypnotherapy field, he offers headache and migraine hypnosis & NLP CDs and free self hypnosis resources on his Neuro-VISION website.