The Complicated Origins of Chronic Pain & How We Can Help

People with chronic pain often struggle to find the source. Doctors run MRIs, perform surgeries, sometimes going as far as to sever the nerve thought to be responsible for the pain. Yet the pain persists. How is this possible? How is it possible to feel pain in an area when there is literally no connection from that part of the body to the nervous system? The truth is that pain is much more complicated.

When Pain is No Longer a Warning

Usually we think of pain as a warning system. And that’s what it’s supposed to be. You injure an area, you feel pain. That’s how you know not to do that again. That’s why you don’t put your hands on a hot burner. That’s why you are careful not to slam your hands in the car door. In fact, there are people who are physically incapable of feeling pain. And it turns out that’s a very dangerous condition, because they are more likely to injure themselves without even knowing it.

But what is pain when it’s no longer a warning system? Chronic pain often baffles doctors, as they search and search, finding no physical reason for the pain to exist. So, what’s causing the pain?

What Causes Chronic Pain?

It’s interesting to note that there’s more than one cause for chronic pain. Sometimes after an injury, the nerve cells that send pain signals can get into a hyper-excitable state, so that even after the injury heals, the nerves are still sending pain signals.

Sometimes chronic pain can have a more emotional connection. In the brain, there are circuits that can regulate whether a person can feel pain, and how much pain they feel. Neuroscientist Amy Arnsten, a professor of neuroscience and psychology at Yale School of Medicine, says that when these circuits are exposed to chronic stress, “especially stressors where we feel uncontrolled or frightened”, they can atrophy and weaken. Because of this, fear, depression, and anxiety can make people more vulnerable to feeling pain long after the physical injury has healed, or even without a physical injury even occurring. According to Dr. Arnsten, “The brain actually has pathways where it can go down and control our body, and actually create a pain response.”

So, it’s clear to see that pain doesn’t just come from the body. Pain can actually be generated in the brain, even without a physical cause. That’s one reason hypnosis can be so effective for pain relief.

Hypnosis and Pain Relief

Hypnosis has a long history in being used to relieve pain. Hypnosis was used by dentists during World War II to extract teeth when anesthetics were unavailable. [Hypnosis in the Relief of Pain, by Ernest R. Hilgard, Josephine R. Hilgard, page 144]. Hypnosis, or hypnosedation, is still used in surgeries to this day, to either replace anesthesia, or so less anesthesia is needed. In addition to surgeries, hypnosis is regularly used to facilitate a much more comfortable childbirth experience.

However, hypnosis is not only helpful for relief of temporary pain, as in the case of childbirth or surgery, hypnosis can also bring relief from chronic pain. Studies have shown that “hypnosis interventions consistently produce significant decreases in pain associated with a variety of chronic-pain problems”. In addition, “hypnosis was generally found to be more effective than nonhypnotic interventions such as attention, physical therapy, and education.”

Drake Eastburn has worked for years with clients for pain relief. In fact, his own desire for relief of migraines was part of what caused him to study hypnosis. He’s now migraine-free thanks to hypnosis.

Currently, in an attempt to find relief of chronic pain, our country faces an opioid crisis. Opioids are a type of drug used in the treatment of pain and can have serious side-effects, as well as being addictive. Many people have even lost their lives because of opioid drug overdose. In fact, according to the CDC, on average, 130 Americans die every day from an opioid overdose.

Add to that the fact that many who regularly use opioids get little relief of their pain, and it makes sense to seek out non-invasive pain relief tools. What’s more is that, as we’ve stated before, pain can be connected to emotions such as anxiety. Being wonderful at stress relief and dealing directly with the part of the brain that emotions originate from, hypnosis can help beyond just the relief of pain, but can also bring relief from the emotions that contribute to the pain.

If you’re interested in learning more about anxiety hypnotherapy, or hypnotherapy for chronic illness and stress, give us a call or send us a message today.