Does hypnosis work for chronic pain treatment?

The short answer is, as long as the sufferer is able to be hypnotized, yes, hypnosis can help relieve chronic pain. Penn State psychology professor William Ray, who has done many studies on pain management and hypnosis stated, "Today, there's general agreement that hypnosis can be an important part of treatment for some conditions, including phobias, addictions and chronic pain... We have done a variety of EEG studies, one of which suggests that hypnosis removes the emotional experience of pain while allowing the sensory sensation to remain. Thus, you notice you were touched but not that it hurt."

Cara Gallucci, M.A., C.Ht, Hypnotist, Meditation Instructor, and Reiki Practitioner reported "Hypnosis provides a powerful way to affect physiology through the mind and emotions. Hypnosis can relieve pain on several levels. Hypnosis creates a state of profound relaxation which in itself frequently begins to lessen pain." She warns that one must be careful because "We need to look for the message in the pain." Pain is a self protective tool the body uses to keep us from hurting ourselves further so it should not be ignored or blocked completely.