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Hypnotherapy can be used as part of the healing process to reduce the side effects from drugs, to help speed patient recovery, and reduce post-operative discomfort.

Many people with cancer experience pain, anxiety, and mood disturbances.Conventional treatments do not always satisfactorily relievethese symptoms, and some patients may not be able to toleratetheir side effects. Hypnosis can help improve physical and mental well-being and can help reduce procedural pain.

You can learn hypnotherapeutic techniques to use before andduring painful or stressful procedures, including chemotherapy and radiationtherapy. Patients typically learn these techniques quickly.After a few sessions, clients can continue to self-treat, makingthese techniques convenient and cost effective and providingthem with a better degree of control. Clients with substantial anxietyor fear about pending procedures or who need an enhanced senseof control should be consider learning self-hypnosis.

After the acute phase of pain management, emphasis shifts tosustaining pain relief, controlling symptoms to minimize sideeffects, and to psychosocial issues. The negative impact ofside effects can increase with chronicity. For example, chronicconstipation caused by opioids may lead to laxative abuse, causingfurther difficulty with bowel management. Chronic non-steroidalanti-inflammatory drug use is associated with increased riskof gastrointestinal bleeding. Both chronic pain and chronicopioid use are associated with depression. Some patients developa tolerance to opioids, requiring higher dosages and frequentdrug rotation. For patients with difficult-to-control chronicpain, hypnosis should be considered.

Hypnotherapy can provide help with the following complaints:

Arthritis
Asthma
Cancer
Fibromyalgia
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Surgical Procedures (less discomfort, less bleeding, less swelling, less scarring)
And more... (Read below and then click here for more successful therapies)

Mind-body techniques can be particularly useful for patientswho prefer active involvement and participation. Relaxationand imagery training can reduce pain and analgesic use, thusreducing analgesic side effects.

Pain tends to become laced with anxiety and depression in patientsfaced with months or years of chronic pain, and these problemscan affect caregivers as well as patients. Because hypnotherapy has been found to reduce mood disturbance as well as physical symptoms,using hypnosis can help improve qualityof life in general.

Hypnosis reduces stress, anxiety, pain, nausea and vomiting. It increases confidence and self-image. Hypnotherapy helps ease the acceptance of physical restrictions or even managing end of life transition.

If you've been diagnosed with cancer or another illness in which long term care is expected, call or email Amy to find out how hypnotherapy can help ease your transition.

Amy Hale, CHT