Fibromyalgia Hypnotherapy Grantham and Newark
Fibromyalgia Hypnotherapy Grantham and Newark – Fibromyalgia or Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) can cause wide spread pain, fatigue and stiffness in people affecting the fibrous tissues such as the ligaments and tendons.
Around 2% of the population are thought to develop symptoms of Fibromyalgia, with women being affected affected five times more frequently than men. Symptoms normally appear between the ages of 25 and 55. It is a is a very complex, distressing, and debilitating condition.
Sufferers may have increased sensitivity to pain, muscle stiffness/tenderness particularly being concentrated in the back and neck area, fatigue, sleep disturbance, or sleep deprivation, painful skin when touched, headaches, allergies, irritable bowel syndrome, sensitivities to light, smoke, noise and other environmental factors, and an increased problem with focus, and mental processes
(fibrofog) resulting in poor memory, and concentration. The quality of sleep overall can be particularly poor leaving the person feeling continuously exhausted on top of everything else.
Fibromyalgia is a difficult condition to distinguish as there’s no specific test for the condition, and most of the symptoms are shared with other conditions. Therefore, it is can go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed for many years, and only after studying detailed historical patient evidence, and receiving a thorough physical examination, and undergoing blood tests to rule out other causes can a diagnosis be made. This situation causes even more angst, and stress for the sufferer which can cause the condition to worsen, and they can then become further withdrawn by the impact that an eventual diagnosis of Fibromyalgia which is a problem of the central nervous system has upon their lives.
It would appear that cells in the brain are somehow ‘tricked’ into behaving as if under attack from a virus. There are elevated levels of substance P (an important pain mediator) in the fluid surrounding the brain appearing to send pain messages to the brain even when there is no source of pain.
Research has found that neurotransmitters – serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine were lower than usual in Fibromyalgia sufferers as well. Serotonin plays an active role in the regulation of substance P which is why some of the symptoms found in fibromyalgia are very similar to those of depression. A low level of serotonin leads to lowered pain thresholds, or in other words – an increased sensitivity to pain.
A study carried out at the University of Iowa studied what happens to the brain during hypnosis.
Researchers monitored chronic sufferers of Fibromyalgia undergoing hypnosis which showed that there was reduced activity in the pain network area of the brain particularly in the area of
the brain responsible for ‘feeling’ pain.
Medical Doctors may recommend a treatment programme combining medication, exercise, massage therapy, psychotherapy, and hypnotherapy. Hypnotherapy for Fibromyalgia helps the body increase the levels of serotonin and maintain the correct regulation of substance P, it also helps you deal with the possible root causes of the problem such as a very stressful or traumatic experience, or accident which may have contributed to the symptoms. It is also reported that stress, anxiety and depression can add to the intensity of the symptoms which may have triggered the illness, therefore hypnotherapy can play an important role in it’s treatment and support.
The positive results obtained through hypnotherapy, and psychotherapy can then clear the way to a clearer mind and aid recovery, and alleviate many of the associated symptoms experienced by sufferers allowing them to better manage the frequency and intensity of flare ups.
The five benefits you should expect from the treatment are:
- Decreased muscle pain
- Reduced pain overall
- Lowering of symptoms
- Fewer sleep difficulties
- Learning self-hypnosis to allow you to control pain, and discomfort
Hypnotherapy for Fibromyalgia is becoming more recognised as one of the best therapies in alleviating the pain of Fibromyalgia as well as pain management generally by medical people as well. It is not a cure for Fibromyalgia, but can help the symptons of Fibromyalgia as an effective treatment to reduce their pain positively, and other fibromyalgia symptoms, take control, and increase quality of life.
In some cases, a person’s medical provider will need to give permission to involve complementary therapies with their diagnosis and medical treatments. Therefore, it is always advisable to speak to the clinician responsible for your care and treatment before embarking on Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) for adjunct support.
Elevated Therapy sessions are NOT a substitute for medical care or a substitute for the treatments provided by a hospital or for the course of treatment prescribed by your medical consultant.
If you would like to book an appointment or find out more about help dealing with Fibromyalgia contact Dr. Michael G Millett and Elevated Therapy (qualified since 1994 / 95).
