Living with ongoing pain wears people down. It affects sleep, work, mood, relationships and the simple things most people take for granted. And it is common: around one in five Australians aged 45 and over lives with chronic pain.
Many of the people who come to Hobart Modern Hypnosis with pain have already tried a great deal. Painkillers, physiotherapy, injections, pain clinics, specialists, programs and apps. Some of it helped for a while. Some of it brought side effects. But the pain is still there, and they are running out of options.
If that sounds familiar, this article is for you. It explains why pain can persist long after an injury has healed, what the research shows about hypnosis for pain, and how a different approach, one that works with pain at its source rather than just managing the symptom, can help.
Why pain can persist
Most people think of pain as a direct signal from an injured part of the body. When you cut your finger, that is largely true. But pain is actually produced by the brain. It is the brain’s judgement, based on signals from the body, past experience, emotion and attention, that something needs protecting.
Usually that system works well. Pain flares, the injury heals, and the pain settles. But sometimes the system keeps sounding the alarm long after the original problem has healed. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare notes that chronic pain can result from changes in the nerves or nervous system that keep signalling pain after the original condition has healed.
Over time, the nervous system can become more sensitive. It reacts more strongly and more easily, and pain can spread or flare with stress, poor sleep, fear or particular movements. This is why:
- pain can continue even when scans show the injury has healed
- stress, worry and exhaustion can make pain noticeably worse
- fear of pain can lead to tension and avoidance, which feeds the cycle
- treatments aimed only at the body part may give limited or short-lived relief.
None of this means the pain is ‘all in your head’. Your pain is real. It simply means that, for many people, the most important part of the problem lies in how the brain and nervous system are producing pain, which is exactly where hypnosis works.
What the research says
Pain is one of the best-studied uses of hypnosis, and the evidence is among the strongest in the field. It is still worth looking at it carefully.
Hypnosis changes how the brain processes pain
In a landmark 1997 study published in Science, researchers used brain imaging while giving people hypnotic suggestions about pain. Changing how unpleasant the pain felt changed activity in a specific brain region involved in processing pain, the anterior cingulate cortex. Later studies have found that different hypnotic suggestions can act on different parts of the brain’s pain system. In other words, hypnosis does not just distract people from pain. It changes how the brain is producing it.
Large studies show meaningful pain relief
The largest analysis to date, a 2019 review of 85 controlled trials involving more than 3,600 people, found that hypnosis reduced pain across all the pain measures studied. For people who responded well to hypnosis, the reductions were substantial. Benefits were much smaller for people who responded less readily, which is one reason preparation matters (see below). These trials mostly used experimentally induced pain, so the authors called for more research with people living with chronic pain.
Chronic pain: encouraging, with more research needed
For chronic pain specifically, a 2022 review of randomised trials in people with musculoskeletal and nerve pain found hypnosis produced a moderate reduction in pain intensity and in how much pain interfered with daily life. One finding stands out: more substantial programs worked better. Hypnosis delivered over eight or more sessions produced a moderate to large effect, while shorter interventions showed only a small effect that was not statistically significant.
The evidence is not uniform. A 2025 review of a smaller group of recent trials found clear benefits for short-term pain, such as after surgery, but no significant effect on chronic pain. Researchers generally agree that hypnosis is a promising and safe option for persistent pain, and that larger, longer-term trials are needed.
What this means
- Hypnosis acts on the brain’s pain system itself, not just on attention or mood.
- How well a person responds matters, which makes preparation and tailoring important.
- Brief interventions are less effective than more substantial work for persistent pain.
- It is not a guaranteed cure, but for many people it is a credible option, especially when other approaches have not worked.
Working at the source, not the symptom
Most pain treatments work from the outside in: dulling the signal with medication, or treating the body part where the pain is felt. Those approaches have their place. But when pain has become a pattern maintained by the brain and nervous system, treating the symptom may only go so far.
Steve’s approach works from the inside out. Rather than simply helping people cope with pain, he works with the unconscious processes that are producing and maintaining it, aiming to turn the pain down at its source.
What that involves
- Understanding your pain in detail. Where it is, how it behaves, what makes it flare or ease, how it started, and what it has cost you. This shapes the whole approach.
- Preparing your mind for deeper hypnosis. Because response to hypnosis matters so much for pain relief, Steve takes the time to help each person reach the depth of hypnosis the work requires, rather than assuming everyone will get there straight away.
- Working with the pain at its source. In hypnosis, Steve works directly with how the brain and nervous system are producing the pain: changing the intensity and unpleasantness of the sensation, calming an over-sensitised alarm system, and loosening the link between pain, fear and tension.
- Addressing what feeds the pain. Stress, poor sleep, past trauma and the fear of movement can all keep pain going. These are worked on as part of the same process.
- Giving you tools to keep control. You may learn techniques to use yourself when pain flares, so you are not dependent on a session to get relief.
Longer, focused sessions
The research above found that more substantial work produced better results for persistent pain. Steve works in longer, in-depth sessions and intensive formats, such as Breakthrough Sessions and Hypno Boot Camp, giving time to work through the whole pattern properly rather than in brief weekly instalments.
Types of pain hypnosis can help with
Hypnosis is used for a wide range of persistent pain, including:
- chronic back and neck pain
- arthritis and joint pain
- fibromyalgia and widespread pain
- migraines and tension headaches
- nerve (neuropathic) pain
- complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
- jaw pain and teeth grinding
- pain after surgery or injury that has persisted after healing
- phantom limb pain
- pelvic pain
- digestive pain, including irritable bowel syndrome (see the article on IBS).
Many people also come with pain that sits alongside other experiences: an old sporting injury, a workplace accident, or pain tied up with trauma. For people from military and frontline backgrounds, chronic pain and trauma often go together. There is more on this in the article on hypnotherapy for veterans and first responders.
Preparing for surgery and medical procedures
Hypnosis also has strong evidence for short-term pain. It can help people prepare for surgery, dental work or medical procedures, reducing anxiety beforehand and supporting comfort and recovery afterwards. If you have a procedure coming up, it is worth starting a few weeks beforehand.
Safety first: working with your medical care
Pain is the body’s alarm system, and sometimes that alarm is telling you something important. That is why a few ground rules matter:
- Get new or unexplained pain checked first. Any new, changing or unexplained pain should be assessed by a doctor before you work on it with hypnosis, so that nothing needing medical treatment is missed.
- Hypnotherapy works alongside medical care. It is not a replacement for diagnosis or treatment, and Steve is happy to work in with your GP, specialist or physiotherapist.
- Do not stop or reduce medication on your own. Even if your pain improves, talk to your doctor before changing any medication. This is especially important with opioids and other strong painkillers, which need to be reduced gradually and under medical supervision.
- Seek urgent help for red-flag symptoms. Sudden severe pain, chest pain, pain with fever, numbness, weakness or loss of bladder or bowel control needs immediate medical attention.
Your part in the process
As with any change, results depend partly on you. People who get the most from hypnotherapy for pain tend to come with an open mind, take part fully in their sessions, use the techniques they learn when pain flares, and keep their other health professionals in the loop. Progress is often gradual, and setbacks are normal. They are information to work with, not a sign that nothing is working.
Frequently asked questions
Does hypnosis work for pain?
The research shows hypnosis can produce meaningful pain relief for many people, and it changes how the brain processes pain. Results vary between people, and the evidence for chronic pain is still developing, but it is among the strongest areas of hypnosis research.
I’ve already been to a pain clinic and tried everything. Is it worth trying hypnosis?
Many people come to Hobart Modern Hypnosis after exactly that. Hypnosis works differently from medication, physical therapies and talk-based pain programs, by working directly with how the brain and nervous system produce pain. A different approach can sometimes succeed where others have not.
Is my pain all in my head?
No. Your pain is real. But all pain is produced by the brain and nervous system, which is why working with them directly can help.
Will the pain go away completely?
For some people, pain reduces dramatically. For others, it becomes much more manageable. It depends on the person and the type of pain. Steve will give you an honest view once he understands your situation.
Can I keep taking my pain medication?
Yes. Hypnotherapy can be used alongside medication. Never stop or change medication without talking to your doctor.
How many sessions will I need?
It depends on the type of pain, how long you have had it, and how you respond. Persistent pain usually needs more than a single brief session, which is why Steve works in longer, focused sessions and programs.
Can hypnosis help me prepare for surgery?
Yes. Hypnosis has good evidence for reducing anxiety and pain around surgery and medical procedures. Starting a few weeks beforehand gives the most time to prepare.
Is hypnosis safe for people with chronic pain?
With a trained practitioner, yes. Hypnosis is drug-free and non-invasive. If you have a medical or mental health condition, let your GP know you are starting hypnotherapy.
A different way to approach pain
When pain has outlasted the injury that started it, the most important part of the problem often lies in how the brain and nervous system are producing it. That is where hypnosis works. Rather than only managing symptoms, it aims to turn pain down at its source, and the research shows it can make a real difference for many people.
Hobart Modern Hypnosis works with people living with persistent pain, many of whom have already tried the standard approaches. Steve, who holds a PhD and has decades of clinical experience, works with the unconscious processes behind pain in longer, tailored sessions, alongside your medical care. Sessions are held at the clinic at 176 Macquarie Street, Hobart, and online across Tasmania and Australia.
If you would like to talk about your pain and whether this approach could help, a free 30-minute phone consultation is a good place to start. You can get in touch here or call 03 6108 9053.
This article is general information only and is not a substitute for medical advice. New or unexplained pain should always be assessed by a doctor. Do not stop or change medication without medical advice. Individual results vary.
Sources
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2020). Chronic pain in Australia.
- Rainville, P., Duncan, G. H., Price, D. D., Carrier, B., & Bushnell, M. C. (1997). Pain affect encoded in human anterior cingulate but not somatosensory cortex. Science, 277(5328), 968–971.
- Thompson, T., Terhune, D. B., Oram, C., et al. (2019). The effectiveness of hypnosis for pain relief: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 85 controlled experimental trials. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 99, 298–310.
- Langlois, P., Perrochon, A., David, R., et al. (2022). Hypnosis to manage musculoskeletal and neuropathic chronic pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 135, 104591.
- The use of medical hypnosis to prevent and treat acute and chronic pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis (2025).
