What role can hypnotherapy and hypnosis play in tackling the damaging effects of chronic inflammation?
Inflammation is increasingly recognised as the common thread running through so many health issues.
Arthritis, eczema, psoriasis and Sjogren’s disease, for example, are all conditions where inflammation is a key factor. Other major examples are inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis.
What is inflammation?
Inflammation is the body’s built-in defence system. It’s how your immune system responds to injury, infection or anything it sees as a threat. There are two main types of inflammation. Acute inflammation, which is short-term, is vital to protect the body and help repair damage. Chronic inflammation, however, is long-term and is potentially harmful. It has been linked to a range of symptoms affecting both physical and mental health.
Symptoms of chronic inflammation
Chronic inflammation can cause persistent symptoms. For example, fatigue, joint and muscle pain, digestive issues and recurring infections. Other indicators include depression, anxiety, insomnia, unintended weight loss or gain and “brain fog”.
How Hypnotherapy Helps
Reduce pain
Inflammation causes pain primarily by releasing chemicals that sensitize the nerves. When cells are damaged the body sends out chemical messengers, like prostaglandins and cytokines, which lower the pain threshold of nerve endings and increase blood flow, causing swelling and tenderness. When the inflammatory response doesn’t shut off, as with chronic inflammation, it can lead to damage in otherwise healthy tissues. This can irritate the nerves and alter pain pathways in the brain, consequently resulting in persistent pain.
Hypnotherapy includes the use of hypnosis which is an extremely pleasant state of deep relaxation. By guiding clients into this calm and deeply relaxed state, hypnotherapy can help to dial down those inflammatory processes and reduce pain intensity significantly. Through hypnosis a person experiencing persistent pain can be taught to alter the brain’s perception of the pain message, to turn down the intensity and produce its own internal medication.
Manage stress
Chronic stress is one of the big drivers of inflammation. By helping to manage stress, hypnotherapy can lower inflammation. The therapy works to turn down the stress response and calm the nervous system.
Improve sleep
Sleep helps regulate the release of hormones such as cortisol and melatonin, both of which influence inflammation. Adequate sleep allows the body to repair tissue and reset immune function. Hypnotherapy promotes good sleep, thereby helping to reduce inflammation.
If you are affected by chronic inflammation and would like some support please call 07514 931 096 or email me. carolynspillerhypnotherapy@gmail.com
Appointments are available at my practice in Tiverton in Devon, or online.