An astonishing 5-10% of men and 18-25% of women suffer with migraines. Only 22% of people with chronic migraine use migraine specific medications and that the remaining 78% rely on opiates such as Tylenol or on barbiturates (Bigal, Borucho, Seranno & Lipton, 2009). There are two matters to consider in particular with this approach to treatment. One is the possibility of addiction to opiates and the second is the possibility of hyperalgesia – a condition where the pain killers actually make the pain worse because of increased sensitivity to pain.
For centuries hypnosis has used to treat every type of pain condition imaginable (Pintar & Lynn, 2008). It is also effective. A meta-analysis of 18 studies found a moderate to large hypnoanalgesic effect of hypnosis for pain management (Montgomery, DuHamel & Redd, 2000). These findings were valid for both clinical and experimental pain. My PhD research involved designing and implementing an online hypnotherapy programme for people with migraines. It is the first time such an experiment was conducted and the results were fantastic. Participants were able to do more. They were socializing more and able to work for longer periods of time because their headache disability dropped by 45% in just 10 weeks.
Their thoughts changed too. They were less inclined to think negatively – a drop of 60% in just ten weeks. When attending on a one on one consultation with me at The Galway Clinic you should notice an improvement even after the first two to three sessions. Most people do six sessions and you will be given a free migraine support pack with your consultations so you can continue the good work at home. Many people find they sleep better, they can tolerate sounds or smells better and they generally report feeling much more in control. To make an appointment to treat your migraines with hypnosis you can call me on 091 720145. Alternatively, further details are available on our Migraine Clinics page.