Getting a lot of comment in the blogosphere is the story of a hypnotist who had surgery without anesthetic to remove a piece of bone from his arm. He and his surgeon were interviewed on video about the experience.
Because they’re British they don’t make a big deal out of it, and the hypnotist, Alex Lenkei, is upfront about the fact that it takes considerable skill and practice to do this. He’s been practicing hypnotherapy for 45 years, after all.
During my training, though, I saw some remarkable videos about a surgeon in Spain who uses a hypnotic technique to operate without anesthetic, and there are plenty of historical records of surgeons using hypnosis to operate. Once chemical anesthetics became reliable, the practice largely fell into disuse, but it’s very viable and may be a good alternative for people who don’t respond well to chemical anesthetics or for whom there are other complications which make chemical anesthesia a less preferred option. Using less anesthetic also gives a better post-surgical recovery, generally.
A lot of women are also now using hypnosis instead of, or alongside, chemical anesthesia when giving birth. There’s a training process involved, so scheduled surgery or childbirth are ideal settings. However, there are also techniques which can be used quickly to reduce pain in emergency situations, such as for burns victims.
Relevant Product: Pain Management (audio CD)
Technorati Tags: hypnosis, hypnotherapy, surgery, pain, anesthesia, drug alternatives
Related posts:
- Hypnosis around surgery saves money, time, and painI recently came across a 2007 study: A Randomized Clinical...
- Hypnosis in the management of fibromyalgia painThanks to Bronwyn Thompson at Health Skills, not only for...
- Hypnosis: Good for pain, healing, treatment side effects“If somebody told you there was a medication that could...
- Hypnosis for childbirth – anaesthetist talks it upThese three things I like to see: 1. Positive mentions...
- Hypnosis for weight loss and surgical recoveryI’ve been focusing a lot on the “health science” part...