Pain management and hypnosis Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Pain management and hypnosis - Term Paper Example In such a way, the analysis will begin by attempting to define hypnotherapy and proceed to discuss the ways in which the practice of hypnotherapy is beneficial to the individual suffering from pain. As a means to accomplish such a task, a variety of medical journals and sources will be utilized so that a thorough and thoughtful analysis can be drawn as to overall efficacy of the practice within the context of medical treatment. The definition of hypnotherapy is of course itself a necessary step in seeking to understand what specifically the practice entails and what it does not. Due to the fact that a great deal of societal misconception continues to exist surround the use and application of hypnotherapy, there remains a great deal of unnecessary and ill-conceived biases with regards to its implementation. For purposes of the medical community, hypnotherapy can simply be defined as, â€Å"the use of hypnosis as a therapeutic technique†. Due to the simplistic nature of the defi nition, it leaves itself open to a broad variety of interpretations. As a means of countering this, hypnotherapy, as discussed in this brief analysis, will refer to the use and implementation of therapeutic hypnotic techniques by a licensed and trained physician. Within the more rigid construct that has been lain out above, one can understand that little room for interpretation of the means by which hypnosis will be achieved as a function of therapy exists. Such a rigid definition is itself highly necessary due to the level of misunderstanding and societal misconception surrounding the term. Though it is not the purpose of this brief analysis to engage the reader as to the incorrect societal and cultural interpretations of hypnotherapy that exist, the reader/researcher should at the very least be mindful of their existence as should the recommending/prescribing healthcare professional. When one considers the applications for hypnotherapy there are vast. Many individuals undergo hypn otherapy as a means to rid themselves of a bad habit, to face difficult or painful memories, or as a means to self enrichment or betterment. Many of these forms of meditation do not have roots in medical treatment (Patterson et al 2010). As such, this is one of the reasons that hypnosis as a therapy has had an uphill battle to achieve a degree of credibility. Whereas when one goes to an orthopedist, there is only one type of orthopedist that is offered - a medically licensed and rigorously trained medical professional. Such is not the same case for a hypnotherapist. Due to the fact that many different levels of hypnotherapists exist, it has been a common misconception that the practice itself is somehow associated with a pseudoscience that provides limited results if any. However, the fact of the matter is that if administered by a licensed professional, hypnotherapy itself can be a powerful tool in seeking to provide a level of pain management that traditional medicinal means canno t and with few if