Hypnosis for Chronic Pain Relief

Living with ongoing pain can take a quiet toll. It can be frustrating to explain, exhausting to manage, and discouraging when traditional treatments don’t offer lasting relief. Whether you’re dealing with back pain, joint pain, nerve pain, pelvic pain, or a diagnosis like fibromyalgia, you may be looking for something different that helps you feel more in control of your body and your life.

At Attune Philadelphia Therapy Group, we offer an integrative approach that includes clinical hypnosis for pain relief. Hypnotherapy can be a meaningful part of managing chronic pain, especially when paired with relational, mind-body therapy. Hypnosis can help your brain and nervous system relate to pain signals differently, so that your body has a chance to rest and recalibrate.

What Is Hypnosis for Pain Management?

Hypnosis is a state of focused attention and deep relaxation. In this state, your mind becomes more open to helpful suggestions and internal resources. When used for pain management, hypnosis can reduce muscle tension, calm nervous system reactivity, and shift how pain is processed in the brain.

This isn’t stage hypnosis or a quick fix. It’s a collaborative process grounded in your goals, your story, and your pace. You’ll be fully aware and in control during the experience. Sessions might involve:

Learning to guide your attention away from painful sensations
Through gentle, structured practice, you’ll learn how to redirect awareness toward neutral or positive physical experiences—giving your nervous system a break from constant pain signaling.  This is not distraction from pain, but rather focusing towards new and positive sensations that were always there but you hadn’t previously been paying attention to.

Using your imagination through suggestion and metaphor to create a sense of ease
Your therapist may guide you in imagining a cooling sensation, a protective buffer, or a softening warmth—offering your body symbolic messages of safety and relief that can help reduce pain intensity.  This is an imaginative process that will utilize multiple senses.  Some of the suggestions will be direct and related to your pain, others will be indirect, built off of meaningful metaphors that connect to your healing process.

Developing skills through integrative therapy and self-hypnosis to regulate your stress and emotional responses
Chronic pain often flares with stress or emotional tension. Hypnosis helps create a calm internal environment where the body can downshift from fight-or-flight into rest-and-repair.  As the process continues, your hypnotherapist  will work with you to learn self-hypnosis skills so that you can more intentionally apply what you’ve learned to reinforce your gains.

Exploring how pain interacts with patterns of perfectionism, burnout, or self-criticism
Sometimes, the emotional strain of pushing through pain is just as depleting as the pain itself. Our cognitive and emotional patterns of relating with ourselves are often mirrors of the pain and may directly contribute to it.  For example, if you have a harsh, self-critical, and unsparing attitude towards what you ‘should be’ doing or able to do, that self-criticism or shame is often expressed in the body.  Hypnotherapy can help loosen these patterns and build a more compassionate relationship with your body.

Does Hypnosis Work for Chronic Pain?

A growing body of research supports the use of hypnosis in treating chronic pain. Studies have shown that hypnosis can significantly reduce pain intensity, increase comfort, and improve quality of life for many people.

• A meta-analysis by Jensen et al. (2009) found that hypnosis provided substantial pain relief across various chronic pain conditions, including back pain, arthritis, and neuropathic pain.¹
• Elkins and colleagues (2020) emphasized the effectiveness of hypnosis as a well-established treatment for chronic pain and recommended its broader clinical use.²
• Other studies have noted that hypnotherapy can be especially helpful in cases where emotional stress contributes to the intensity or persistence of pain.³

Pain is complex. While hypnosis isn’t a magic cure, it can be a valuable tool in a more holistic, sustainable approach to healing.

Who Is This For?

You might consider integrative therapy and hypnosis for pain relief if:

• You’ve tried traditional treatments with limited results
• You want a non-medication option to complement your care
• You’re curious about how mind-body interventions can help
• You’re managing a complex pain experience that’s difficult to describe
• You want a compassionate space to feel seen, not dismissed

Our clients often include professionals, caregivers, and high-functioning adults who are used to pushing through but are now ready to explore a more supported way forward.

Start with a Conversation

You don’t have to navigate this alone. Our team of licensed therapists offers boutique, personalized care with expertise in both hypnosis and chronic stress-related conditions.

If you’re ready to explore something different, we invite you to schedule a free consultation and learn how this work might support you.

Talk to Us →
Private, out-of-network therapy in Philadelphia, PA and across PSYPACT states.

References

1. Jensen, M. P., et al. (2009). Hypnosis for chronic pain: A meta-analysis. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, PMC2752362.

2. Elkins, G., et al. (2020). Evidence-based practice in clinical hypnosis for chronic pain. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, DOI:10.1080/00029157.2020.1869517.

3. Elkins, G., & Jensen, M. P. (2020). Clinical hypnosis for the treatment of chronic pain. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, DOI:10.1080/00029157.2020.1742087.

4. Hilgard, J. R., & Hilgard, E. R. (1979). Hypnosis in the relief of pain. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, DOI:10.1080/00029157.1979.10403201.