Seen At 11: Turning To Hypnosis For Pain Relief

CBS New York

28 Jul 201402:15

Summary

TLDRThe video explores the use of hypnosis as a tool to manage pain, particularly for conditions like migraines and severe headaches. Hypnosis is shown to help individuals gain control over pain by using guided relaxation and focused attention, temporarily blocking out discomfort. While not a proven cure, medical professionals like Dr. Darra Jameson acknowledge its potential benefits for episodic migraines. Hypnosis has been effective for many people, and studies reviewed by the National Institutes of Health support its effectiveness in managing some forms of chronic pain, such as tension headaches.

Takeaways

🧠 Hypnosis is being used to help with various issues, including weight loss, smoking cessation, and pain relief.
💡 Hypnosis has been reported to help with severe headaches and migraines, allowing patients to control their pain early on.
🙌 A migraine sufferer named Hedy White shares that hypnosis has helped her prevent headaches from becoming debilitating.
✨ Hypnotist Lisa Lichi explains that hypnosis involves guided relaxation and concentration, helping to block out or ignore pain.
🎯 Hypnosis opens the subconscious to positive suggestion, helping people manage pain and discomfort.
🩺 Dr. Darra Jameson, from the Headache Center at New York Presbyterian Hospital, states that studies show hypnosis can be beneficial for managing migraines but not a guaranteed cure.
🧘‍♀️ Self-hypnosis and relaxation techniques can help mitigate the onset of migraines and reduce the severity of symptoms.
🤔 Skeptics are encouraged to try hypnosis, as it is a potentially helpful tool with little risk.
📊 The National Institutes of Health reviewed studies on hypnosis and found it effective for managing chronic pain, including tension headaches.
🛠️ Hypnosis is seen as a useful tool for pain management but not a complete solution for everyone.

Q & A

What conditions do people seek hypnosis for according to the transcript?
-People have turned to hypnosis for help with conditions like losing weight, quitting smoking, relieving pain, and managing severe headaches and migraines.
How did hypnosis help Hedy White with her migraines?
-Hedy White, a migraine sufferer, learned through hypnosis to control her headaches at their onset, preventing them from becoming debilitating.
What is hypnosis described as in the transcript?
-Hypnosis is described as a method that uses guided relaxation and intense concentration to focus attention, which can temporarily block out or ignore pain.
How does hypnosis help manage pain according to hypnotist Lisa Lichi?
-According to Lisa Lichi, hypnosis can lower the experience of pain by helping people focus their attention so strongly that other sensations, including pain, are temporarily blocked or ignored.
What role does Dr. Darra Jameson believe hypnosis plays in managing migraines?
-Dr. Darra Jameson believes hypnosis can help some patients manage episodic migraines, particularly by using self-hypnosis and relaxation techniques to lessen the pain and accompanying symptoms when a migraine begins.
Is hypnosis considered a proven cure for migraines?
-No, hypnosis is not considered a proven cure for migraines, but studies suggest it can be beneficial in managing them.
What techniques can people use during a migraine attack according to Dr. Jameson?
-People can use self-hypnosis, relaxation, and calming behaviors to try to abort the pain and reduce the impact of migraine symptoms.
What is the opinion of people skeptical about hypnosis?
-Skeptics are encouraged to try hypnosis, with the suggestion that it’s a helpful tool and there is nothing to lose by giving it a chance.
What has the National Institutes of Health concluded about hypnosis and chronic pain?
-The National Institutes of Health reviewed studies and concluded that hypnosis can be effective for some chronic pain conditions, including tension headaches.
What surprised Hedy White about hypnosis for pain relief?
-Hedy White initially expected a dramatic or magical experience but was surprised to find that hypnosis was not a trick and really helped her with pain relief.

Outlines

00:00

🧠 Hypnosis: A New Pain Relief Method

The introduction discusses how hypnosis is being used for various health improvements such as weight loss and smoking cessation. Now, hypnosis is also being explored as a potential method for relieving pain, including headaches and migraines. The segment will investigate hypnosis as a possible solution for pain relief.

🤔 Hypnosis Helps a Migraine Sufferer

Hedy White, a migraine sufferer, shares her experience with hypnosis for pain relief. Although initially skeptical, she found that hypnosis significantly helped her manage her migraines. After trying numerous treatments, hypnosis taught her to control the onset of her headaches and prevent them from becoming debilitating.

🧘‍♀️ Power of Hypnosis in Pain Management

Hypnosis practitioner Lisa Lichi explains that in one session, people can learn how to use their minds to reduce pain. Hypnosis involves guided relaxation and concentration, focusing a person’s attention so strongly that severe pain can be temporarily blocked or ignored. Positive suggestions made during hypnosis can influence the subconscious, helping alleviate pain.

🔬 Hypnosis and Headaches: A Medical Perspective

Dr. Darra Jameson, director at the Headache Center of New York Presbyterian Hospital, shares that studies show hypnosis can be beneficial for managing headaches, though it’s not a proven cure. Techniques like self-hypnosis and relaxation can help people stop migraines at their onset and reduce their symptoms.

🙌 A Tool Worth Trying

In conclusion, the segment encourages viewers to consider hypnosis as a pain management tool. The National Institutes of Health has reviewed studies and found that hypnosis is effective for certain types of chronic pain, including tension headaches. For skeptics, the message is clear: it’s a useful tool worth exploring, especially when other methods fail.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Hypnosis

Hypnosis is a therapeutic technique involving guided relaxation and focused attention to achieve a heightened state of awareness, often used for pain relief, weight loss, and quitting smoking. In the video, hypnosis is explored as a tool for managing severe headaches and migraines, helping patients block out pain through focused concentration.

💡Pain relief

Pain relief refers to the methods used to alleviate discomfort caused by conditions like headaches or chronic pain. In the video, hypnosis is highlighted as a potential method for reducing or managing pain, including severe migraines, by allowing individuals to focus their minds and ignore the pain temporarily.

💡Migraines

Migraines are severe, often debilitating headaches that can cause intense pain, nausea, and sensitivity to light and sound. The video discusses how hypnosis can help migraine sufferers like Hedy White control their symptoms by stopping migraines at their onset through mental focus and relaxation techniques.

💡Guided relaxation

Guided relaxation is a process where a person is led through relaxation techniques to ease physical and mental tension. In hypnosis, it is a crucial element that helps patients relax and enter a state where their attention can be focused, as seen in the video, where it aids in pain management for migraine sufferers.

💡Concentration

Concentration is the mental effort required to focus attention on a specific thought, action, or sensation. In the context of the video, hypnosis enhances concentration to the point where pain and other distractions are temporarily blocked, allowing the individual to manage or reduce the experience of pain.

💡Subconscious

The subconscious is the part of the mind that operates below the level of conscious awareness, influencing thoughts and behaviors. During hypnosis, the subconscious becomes more open to positive suggestions and direction, which can help patients manage pain or modify their response to migraine symptoms, as explained by hypnotist Lisa Lichi.

💡Self-hypnosis

Self-hypnosis is the practice of inducing a hypnotic state on one's own to achieve a desired mental state, such as relaxation or pain control. In the video, self-hypnosis is mentioned as a tool that migraine sufferers can use at the onset of symptoms to potentially abort the migraine and lessen its impact.

💡Chronic pain

Chronic pain refers to ongoing pain that lasts for an extended period, often resistant to typical treatment methods. The video references studies from the National Institutes of Health that show hypnosis can be effective in managing certain types of chronic pain, such as tension headaches.

💡Tension headaches

Tension headaches are a common type of headache characterized by mild to moderate pain, often described as a tight band around the head. The National Institutes of Health's review, mentioned in the video, found that hypnosis can be effective in treating tension headaches, offering a non-pharmaceutical option for pain relief.

💡Positive suggestion

Positive suggestion is a technique used in hypnosis where the hypnotist plants helpful, constructive ideas into the patient's subconscious mind to influence behavior or perception. In the video, this concept is used to explain how hypnosis can redirect the mind away from pain and help patients cope with headaches and migraines more effectively.

Highlights

Hypnosis is being used to relieve pain, including severe headaches and migraines.

Hedy White, a migraine sufferer, found relief through hypnosis after trying numerous treatments.

Hypnosis helps individuals gain control of headaches at the onset before they become debilitating.

White reports that while she still experiences the start of headaches, she can now stop them using hypnosis.

Hypnotist Lisa Lichi teaches patients that their mind can reduce the experience of pain through self-hypnosis.

Hypnosis involves guided relaxation and intense concentration, temporarily blocking out pain.

The subconscious is more open to positive suggestions during hypnosis, aiding pain management.

Dr. Darra Jameson from New York Presbyterian Hospital acknowledges that hypnosis can help manage episodic migraines.

While beneficial, hypnosis is not a proven cure for migraines, according to Dr. Jameson.

Self-hypnosis and relaxation techniques can lessen the impact of migraine pain and accompanying symptoms.

Hypnosis is seen as a tool for patients to manage pain, especially during early headache onset.

Lisa Lichi emphasizes that hypnosis helps shift the patient's focus, making pain less noticeable.

The National Institutes of Health found hypnosis effective for managing chronic pain, including tension headaches.

Hedy White encourages skeptics to try hypnosis, stating it has helped her tremendously.

Hypnosis is not a magic trick but a tool that teaches patients to harness their mind's power for pain relief.