Physical health
Hypnotherapy for chronic pain
Hypnotherapy can help you manage persistent pain, easing how much it is felt and how much it takes over your life, alongside your medical care.
How hypnotherapy helps with pain
Pain is produced by the brain as well as felt in the body. How strongly you feel it is shaped by attention, tension, mood, sleep and fear of making it worse. When pain goes on for months, those factors can lock together: pain makes you tense and tired, and tension and tiredness turn the volume up.
Research shows hypnosis can reduce how intense persistent pain feels and how much it interferes with daily life. A 2022 review of randomised controlled trials found hypnosis reduced both pain intensity and pain interference in chronic pain, with clearer benefits when people had eight or more sessions. A 2021 review of 45 trials across many types of pain found a moderate overall benefit, and a 2014 review found a moderate benefit compared with standard care.
Hypnotherapy does not treat the cause of your pain. What it offers is a practical way to change your relationship with pain: to turn the volume down, release the tension that feeds it, and get back to the things that matter to you.
What we work on
- Techniques to reduce how strongly pain is felt, such as imagery and shifting attention
- Deep relaxation to release the muscle tension that often adds to pain
- The stress, frustration and low mood that can come with long-term pain
- Better sleep, which affects how you cope the next day
- Pacing and confidence to do more without fear of a flare-up
- Self-hypnosis you can use whenever pain rises
How sessions work
Your free 15–30 minute consultation by phone or video is a chance to talk about your pain and what you want to change. Sessions are in person at 9 Coldbath Square, Farringdon, or online, which many people with pain find easier. Each session is tailored to you, drawing on Ericksonian hypnotherapy and NLP. Because the research points to better results over a course of sessions, Tim focuses on building skills you can practise and keep.
Why Tim
Tim Dunton has more than 20 years of experience and has been training since 2004. He is a member of the General Hypnotherapy Register (GHR), an Advanced and Ericksonian Hypnotherapist and a Master Practitioner of NLP, trained by Richard Bandler and John Grinder. He has worked with celebrities, sportspeople and business leaders.
What kinds of pain can you help with?
Clients come with back pain, joint pain, nerve pain, pain after injury and other long-term pain. Your doctor should have assessed the pain first. Related pages cover fibromyalgia and migraines.
Does it mean the pain is 'in my head'?
No. Your pain is real. Hypnotherapy works with the way the brain processes pain signals, which is part of how all pain is felt.
Can I keep my pain medication?
Yes. Keep taking anything prescribed, and talk to your doctor before changing it.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Aim | Manage pain and reduce how much it is felt and gets in the way |
| Evidence | Moderate: several reviews of controlled trials |
| Typical course | Usually around five sessions (7 hours) |
| Format | In person in Farringdon, London EC1, or online |
| First step | Free 15–30 minute consultation |
| Fee | £150 an hour online, £195 in person |
Hypnotherapy works alongside medical care. Please see your GP about any medical condition, and keep taking prescribed medication unless your doctor advises otherwise. New, severe or changing pain should always be checked by a doctor.
See also: hypnotherapy for physical health, fibromyalgia and surgery and medical procedures.
The research
- Langlois P et al (2022). Review of 9 randomised controlled trials (530 people) of hypnosis for chronic pain. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. PubMed 35192910
- Milling LS et al (2021). Meta-analysis of 45 trials of hypnosis for pain. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis. PubMed 34038322
- Adachi T et al (2014). Meta-analysis of hypnosis for chronic pain. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis. PubMed 24256477
Individual experiences vary.
Related treatments
- Hypnotherapy for fibromyalgia
- Hypnotherapy for headaches and migraines
- Hypnotherapy for IBS
- Hypnotherapy for surgery and medical procedures
A free, no-obligation 15–30 minute call by phone or video. Or call 07975 653893.