Pain Has Its Own Story to Tell - How to Listen and Manage it Effectively
Pain in itself is a useful indicator that something is wrong.
That is why pain management treatment as a general rule, does not aim to remove it completely, but rather, manage it efficiently and effectively.
By removing it completely a person may do something that could cause lasting damage or harm.
So, an awareness of the pain is a reminder to take care.
With any physical symptoms it is important to firstly get a medical diagnosis.
Is there a physical injury ? Hs there been an accident or illness ? Is there a psychological component ? There are several different types of pain.
Pain from an accident may be short lived.
Whereas pain from an illness may be continuous or intermittent, low grade or chronic.
How a person holds themselves physically and their expectation of pain levels must also be factored into the equation.
The way a person feels about themselves, their diagnosis, their prognosis is often a significant part of the recovery process.
A combination of medication, stress management, relaxation, counselling, self help techniques, physiotherapy, diet management, whatever else may be of help, should all be included into the management and/ or recovery programme.
Certainly quality of life can be significantly improved by the patient feeling that they are taking some control over their treatment.
Increasingly hospitals are finding that by allowing the patients to self medicate has significantly reduced the quantity of pain killers that are being used.
Techniques for pain management to be used with clients can include : - pain scaling.
Learning to first turn the pain levels up slightly, which can always be done, achieves an awareness of control over the level of pain experienced.
Then the pain level can be turned down bit by bit.
- self hypnosis teaches the ability to detach oneself for a time, whilst still being aware of external events and instructions.
This is popular and used to great effect in childbirth and dentistry.
- self hypnosis links in with relaxation techniques by allowing the body to relax and become less tense, eg progressive relaxation, tensing and relaxing each muscle group in the body.
- positive affirmations teaches the difference between negative self talk and criticism or being more positive and optimistic.
- distraction techniques.
Learning to think of something else provides a useful respite.
- anchor good feelings.
This is a technique reminiscent of a mother kissing a child's bruised knee- it feels instantly better.
- creative visualisation, can enable a person to imagine, enhance and focus on the healing that is going on in the body.
This technique enables a person to ease tension and feel more in control of their body and what is happening in it.
It is a fact that attitude and expectations are an important part of supporting a persons' health management and recovery.
Working to complement the health care team is a useful part of the hypnotherapists role.
That is why pain management treatment as a general rule, does not aim to remove it completely, but rather, manage it efficiently and effectively.
By removing it completely a person may do something that could cause lasting damage or harm.
So, an awareness of the pain is a reminder to take care.
With any physical symptoms it is important to firstly get a medical diagnosis.
Is there a physical injury ? Hs there been an accident or illness ? Is there a psychological component ? There are several different types of pain.
Pain from an accident may be short lived.
Whereas pain from an illness may be continuous or intermittent, low grade or chronic.
How a person holds themselves physically and their expectation of pain levels must also be factored into the equation.
The way a person feels about themselves, their diagnosis, their prognosis is often a significant part of the recovery process.
A combination of medication, stress management, relaxation, counselling, self help techniques, physiotherapy, diet management, whatever else may be of help, should all be included into the management and/ or recovery programme.
Certainly quality of life can be significantly improved by the patient feeling that they are taking some control over their treatment.
Increasingly hospitals are finding that by allowing the patients to self medicate has significantly reduced the quantity of pain killers that are being used.
Techniques for pain management to be used with clients can include : - pain scaling.
Learning to first turn the pain levels up slightly, which can always be done, achieves an awareness of control over the level of pain experienced.
Then the pain level can be turned down bit by bit.
- self hypnosis teaches the ability to detach oneself for a time, whilst still being aware of external events and instructions.
This is popular and used to great effect in childbirth and dentistry.
- self hypnosis links in with relaxation techniques by allowing the body to relax and become less tense, eg progressive relaxation, tensing and relaxing each muscle group in the body.
- positive affirmations teaches the difference between negative self talk and criticism or being more positive and optimistic.
- distraction techniques.
Learning to think of something else provides a useful respite.
- anchor good feelings.
This is a technique reminiscent of a mother kissing a child's bruised knee- it feels instantly better.
- creative visualisation, can enable a person to imagine, enhance and focus on the healing that is going on in the body.
This technique enables a person to ease tension and feel more in control of their body and what is happening in it.
It is a fact that attitude and expectations are an important part of supporting a persons' health management and recovery.
Working to complement the health care team is a useful part of the hypnotherapists role.
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