Pain is both our best friend and our greatest enemy. It warns us of danger, thus saving our lives and preventing injury - yet, out of control, pain is something nearly all of us fear.
So - pain relief must only be carried out when we are sure of the source of the pain. eg. we do NOT want to stop a headache, only to find that the headache was warning us about a growing brain tumour!
However, many pains can be relieved - sometimes within a couple of minutes. I have done this with toothache, in a busy post office. Sometimes though, it takes a lot longer, several sessions and practice of the technique. I have seen a video of someone having major surgery to her leg, with no drugs to relieve pain - yet she was chatting away quite happily.
Healing by Thinking
“We are what we think.
All that we are arises with our thoughts.
With our thoughts we make the world.
The Dhammapada
Depending upon the type of pain, and the person's own wishes, there are options for dealing with all kinds of pain. People find that with good pain relief, life can be so much better, and having one or two little strategies for coping, makes one feel more in control and much more relaxed - which itself helps to alleviate the pain.
Simple NLP (Neurolinguistic Programming). May be very fast, and is easy to learn.
Relaxation with hypnosis - which can be deepened till a stage of local analgesia is obtained. And we do know that the more tense and frightened you are the more severe the pain is likely to be. This can be very beneficial before surgery or before that visit to the dentist, simply to make someone feel relaxed and calm.
Hypno-esi-therapy, which can prepare one for surgery or childbirth, and relieve even quite severe pain. This method is said to be effective in about 80% of people, so it may be well worth a try. This is a very specific technique, and does require practice from the client. This is where one's thoughts really can control how we feel.
If you would like some pain relief without drugs, then contact me. abbot97@uwclub.net and put "pain relief" in the subject line.
