How One Client’s Journey with Rheumatoid Arthritis Captures the Heart of Hypnotherapy for Chronic Pain Training

Key points:

1. Hypnotherapy has a strong record in helping people manage and improve chronic pain conditions.

2. Chronic pain hypnotherapy focuses on the person, not the condition.

3. A holistic approach to chronic pain includes pain management tools, improving the mind:body connection and a focus on emotional release.

4. Chronic pain hypnotherapy training should be rooted in evidence-based approaches.

*Sandra (real name and details changed) had an ongoing, chronic pain condition in the form of rheumatoid arthritis, which had been ongoing for the past twenty years. She’d been misdiagnosed in the past, and even following a successful diagnosis, she’d found it hard to access any help over and above managing the pain condition with pain killers. The pain killers had become progressively less effective, and by the time Sandra came to see me she was desperate. She’d tried hypnotherapy once before, but with a focus exclusively on the link between chronic pain and past trauma, she didn’t feel it had been helpful.

Spending time with Sandra was a reminder that, as hypnotherapists, we’re not treating the condition – we’re treating the client. When I first completed my hypnotherapy training, I was a bit fearful of treating chronic pain conditions. I’m not from a medical background and I don’t have any knowledge of the types of conditions – fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic back pain – that clients often seek help with. For this reason, I didn’t feel qualified to work with these conditions.

This wasn’t helped by a couple of early clients who were looking for a “specialist in back pain”, or a “specialist in chronic fatigue”, for whom I didn’t have a reasonable answer (except that I wasn’t a specialist in either!).

Why there’s a need for hypnotherapy for chronic pain

Chronic pain affects millions of people throughout the world, with our risk of developing chronic pain increasing with age, and being higher amongst women. There’s a huge spectrum of conditions, from pain conditions which are impactful, whilst allowing people to lead their usual lives, to conditions which are completely debilitating. Unfortunately, for many conditions, there are no clear treatment options. Pain killers provide some relief, but these can become less effective over time and they can create dependency or have unwanted side effects. There’s a need, therefore, for alternatives to medication and hypnotherapy fits into the complementary and alternative approaches that many people are seeking. Like many, Sandra was one of those clients who had tried every avenue before seeking out hypnotherapy,

We know that hypnotherapy is effective

Some areas of hypnotherapy are better researched than others, and chronic pain is thankfully one area that has received a significant amount of research. Research on hypnotherapy suggests that it can change how the brain processes pain signals. In studies using brain scans, people under hypnosis often show reduced activity in brain areas that interpret pain, even when the body signal itself hasn’t changed. This means hypnotherapy may help the brain “turn down the volume” on pain, helping some people with chronic pain feel less discomfort and gain more control over how strongly pain is experienced.

Chronic pain is a psychological condition

We often think of pain as a purely physical condition (and, going back to my earliest experience as a hypnotherapist, this is what put me off treating it). But chronic pain conditions have one thing in common – they are ongoing, often for months or years. Regardless of their origins, living with a chronic pain condition is tough. It tends to affect mood, motivation, and can lead to a sense of powerlessness. Many people – completely understandably – start to protect themselves from the pain, in a way that can actually worsen the condition. Back pain is a good example of people taking steps to avoid pain by avoiding physical activity, when in fact keeping moving could be helpful in improving their condition. Whilst pain is a physical condition, how our brain interprets it depends on all kinds of psychological factors, including past pain experience, cultural expectations and how the condition impacts us. Sandra, like many clients, was open to the idea of hypnotherapy and accepted that there was a strong link between her symptoms, mood and lifestyle choices, which she was keen to work on.

The link between chronic pain and past trauma

Research shows a clear link between chronic pain conditions and past trauma, which means that emotional release work can be helpful for many people. It’s very important to remember, though, that reducing someone’s chronic pain condition to a “trauma condition” is simplistic, and can sometimes be frustrating and hurtful for people. Whilst this type of work can be helpful as part of a holistic treatment for chronic pain, it shouldn’t form the only approach to a client’s chronic pain condition (and some clients don’t demonstrate this type of link between trauma and pain, with their condition more clearly rooted in physical trauma or disease). Past trauma was a strong theme in Sandra’s life, which we worked on during our sessions together.

Pain management tools

Going back to the research, hypnotherapy can provide clients with extremely effective pain management tools. From a personal perspective, many years ago, over the course of a few years, I used to rely on a couple of paracetamol to help me get to sleep due to ongoing back pain. After I learned an incredible pain reduction tool, I replaced the tablets with a daily practice – and I’ve never taken paracetamol for back pain since.

 

Hypnotherapy for Chronic Pain Training

During Pain Rewired, I focus on sharing the HEAL protocol, which perfectly captures the need for a multi-session, holistic approach. Sandra benefitted from four sessions, each of which took her on a therapeutic journey, and included pain management, emotional release, creating a sense of mind:body harmony and providing her with a feeling of empowerment and confidence to make supportive lifestyle changes. The HEAL protocol, covered during training, also provides clear guidelines on client intake, working safely with chronic pain clients, and providing easily accessible psychoeducation.

Sandra sums up perfectly what supportive hypnotherapy feels like when she shares, “I felt listened to, I felt like I was more than my condition, and for the first time I felt confident in taking steps for myself. The pain management tools helped me massively reduce my medication and I feel like life has a purpose”.

If you're interested in training to work with chronic pain clients, we have a choice of live hypnotherapy CPD workshops and an ongoing, self-paced option. For details of dates and to enrol, please click here.

Hypnotherapy for chronic pain training FAQs

Does hypnotherapy cure chronic pain conditions?

We don’t offer a cure for conditions. Our focus is on helping clients manage their condition and improving their lives overall. Some clients, anecdotally, have reported that their chronic pain condition has been cured after a course of hypnotherapy – but this may be due to several factors.

Is it safe to work with chronic pain clients using hypnotherapy?

Yes, but it’s important to take measures such as ensuring they have consulted a medical practitioner and signed a disclaimer to confirm they have done so. Some hypnotherapeutic pain management tools are very effective, and it’s important to make sure we’re not potentially masking a more serious condition.

Can hypnotherapy help any chronic pain condition?

Whether or not a chronic pain condition has a psychological root, the condition tends to affect people psychologically. As a therapeutic approach, hypnotherapy can potentially help anyone manage their chronic pain condition.

Do I need any additional medical qualifications to work with chronic pain as a hypnotherapist?

No. As long as your client has sought out medical advice, you’re working with the client, not their condition, and no further medical training is required.

What is the HEAL approach?

The HEAL approach provides clear guidelines about what the client can do to help themselves, including establishing Hope, exploring what helps them feel Empowered, identifying Actions they can take and Listening to what their body is telling them. Incorporating the HEAL approach into your client work ensures are active partners in their treatment.