pain management
why we need to feel it
Although we are looking here at pain management, we need to first understand that pain has a survival value, providing us, as it does, with an effective warning or danger signal:
- If pain is caused by an external stimulates, such as touching something very hot or being bitten by a vicious animal, it can save our life by triggering our protective fight-or-flight response.
- If, on the other hand, pain comes from an internal injury, illness or disease, it is our body’s way of focussing our attention on that area. It facilitates the healing process by encouraging us to rest or protect the part of us that is hurting. The painful area also becomes flushed and warm as the local blood flow increases, increasing in turn both the supply of nutrients to the affected area and our body’s ability to fight infection.
Pain can be debilitating, however, particularly where there is no prospect for immediate relief. Severe or chronic pain may become so distracting that it interferes with certain actions we need to take, leading to consequences that can compromise our very survival. At such times, pain management becomes more than just about improving our quality of life. The ability to tolerate and manage pain, like the pain itself, will take on a certain survival value.
interpreting pain
Whatever the cause of our pain, it is transmitted, via our spinal cord, to the sensory centre of our brain. It is also transmitted to the cortex, where the location of the pain is deciphered. This is however only part of the process. Our brain’s interpretation of the pain stimulus plays an important part in the way we experience the resultant pain.
Factors that affect this include:
- what the pain signifies to us
- our general emotions and those feel around pain
- the things to which we associate pain
- our history of dealing with pain
- personal characteristics in terms of self esteem, levels of motivation and our dependence on others.
its all in the mind
We have all heard of people doing things we ordinarily would not be able to do. Fire-walking is a good example of this. During this practice, participants go through a process which puts them into a state of mind that allows them to feel no pain or discomfort from walking on coals, which are often well in excess of 500° centigrade.
We know of many other people who regularly access similar pain-inhibiting states of mind. Shamans, and people from various so-called primitive cultures, are known to achieve extraordinary things during trance or similar states. They serve to provide us with tangible examples of how we are able to use our mind to control or inhibit painful sensations.
treatment
If you are experiencing chronic or severe pain, please set up a time to see me so that we may together start working to better manage it and reduce your reliance on pain-inhibiting medication. Alternatively, contact me for more information. It will be good to hear from you!
warning
Given that pain is frequently an indication of an underlying injury or medical condition, it is most necessary that you consult your GP or specialist before seeing me. It is, of course, necessary that a proper diagnosis is made, or at least confirmed, by an appropriate medical practitioner, and that any Hypnotherapy or NLP treatments are carried out in conjunction with whatever other medical advice has been given. Should I feel a need to do so, I will also contact your doctor myself.
