We must remember, hypnosis is not a replacement for physical therapy, it will work as a great compliment to whatever recommendations the client’s health care provider makes. It does not ‘create’ healing powers - rather it removes the blocks that have been getting in the way of the client’s natural ability to heal faster.
Hypnosis can definitely increase athletic ability in sports. It can remove apprehensions of failure and increase motivation to win. Hypnosis can increase focus and concentration and put an athlete ‘in the zone’. Our client may not want to become a champion but poor performance will affect their enjoyment of any sport and we all want to finish a game feeling happy rather than disappointed. Hypnosis can get a person to a level where they can be proud of their performance and enjoy the sport that they take part in.
These days, it is thought that almost all top level sports men and women (and the coaches who work with them) use some form of hypnosis to aid them in performing at their very best. In the world of modern competitive sports, where national pride and huge sums of money are often at stake, it just makes sense that the sports person is able to utilise every legal means in order to obtain real results.
Sunday 14 March 2010
Hypnotherapy for Phantom Limb Pain (PLP)
One of the more unusual types of pain associated with professional sports people is Phantom Limb Pain (PLP). Almost every amputee has this pain to some degree, even babies born without a limb often experience it, suggesting this problem is innate.
Some amputees are unable to walk in the morning unless they first imagine a real limb in order to wake up the perceptions for the brain to create a phantom limb - only then can they put on an artificial limb and make it walk.
In sports, phantom limbs can be a problem in that the pain will redirect an athlete’s focus from their sports endeavours to focusing on the pain. The fact is it doesn't really matter what the cause of phantom pain is - as long as we can deal with it with a solution that is convenient and healthy. Hypnosis has been a consistent solution and the only viable solution which does not require a huge box with mirrors (to deal with body image issues) or University visits in order to partake in Virtual Reality sessions. The most recent trials conclude that hypnosis for the treatment of phantom limb pain seems to be ‘the obvious answer’.
Some amputees are unable to walk in the morning unless they first imagine a real limb in order to wake up the perceptions for the brain to create a phantom limb - only then can they put on an artificial limb and make it walk.
In sports, phantom limbs can be a problem in that the pain will redirect an athlete’s focus from their sports endeavours to focusing on the pain. The fact is it doesn't really matter what the cause of phantom pain is - as long as we can deal with it with a solution that is convenient and healthy. Hypnosis has been a consistent solution and the only viable solution which does not require a huge box with mirrors (to deal with body image issues) or University visits in order to partake in Virtual Reality sessions. The most recent trials conclude that hypnosis for the treatment of phantom limb pain seems to be ‘the obvious answer’.
Hypnotherapy for Sports Injuries
Hypnotherapy is widely used with sportsmen and women with long-term injuries, helping them on their road to recovery. A significant period of time out of the game can hamper form and leave people with feelings of anger and fear. These negative forces can prolong the injury if not addressed and hypnosis is one way of helping our client back. Pain is experienced in a variety of ways from excruciating pain to a mild aching.
The state of Hypnosis can instigate the release of endorphins which are naturally occurring pain-blocking substances in humans. Endorphins block pain signals between cells, so when a trance state is created pain can be reduced. The endorphins that are produced by the body during hypnosis are said to be one hundred times more powerful than morphine.
It is common for athletes to lose their ability to heal quickly after enduring multiple injuries. Each injury has a compounding effect, causing their immune system and natural healing processes to slow down. Improper healing of injuries can decrease their ability to compete at their desired level. Healing quicker helps clients compete at a higher level and gives them a competitive advantage.
For example, researchers recruited 12 people with broken ankles (which did not require surgery) who received the usual treatment at a hospital in America. Half of the subjects received hypnosis afterwards - while the other half did not. There were proper control procedures in place, the results were that those who were hypnotized healed faster than those who were not. Six weeks after the break, those in the hypnosis group showed the equivalent of eight and a half weeks of healing. Hypnosis is even being used in some instances to accelerate the healing process after major surgery.
The state of Hypnosis can instigate the release of endorphins which are naturally occurring pain-blocking substances in humans. Endorphins block pain signals between cells, so when a trance state is created pain can be reduced. The endorphins that are produced by the body during hypnosis are said to be one hundred times more powerful than morphine.
It is common for athletes to lose their ability to heal quickly after enduring multiple injuries. Each injury has a compounding effect, causing their immune system and natural healing processes to slow down. Improper healing of injuries can decrease their ability to compete at their desired level. Healing quicker helps clients compete at a higher level and gives them a competitive advantage.
For example, researchers recruited 12 people with broken ankles (which did not require surgery) who received the usual treatment at a hospital in America. Half of the subjects received hypnosis afterwards - while the other half did not. There were proper control procedures in place, the results were that those who were hypnotized healed faster than those who were not. Six weeks after the break, those in the hypnosis group showed the equivalent of eight and a half weeks of healing. Hypnosis is even being used in some instances to accelerate the healing process after major surgery.
Hypnotherapy for Dancing
Even top competition Ballroom Dancers can benefit from sports hypnosis. They have to maintain perfect style and posture whilst executing the correct technique for each step they take during their routines and remain aware of where the other competitors are on the floor so that they do not collide. All this whilst dancing as a couple completely in harmony, in time to the music and making it look flowingly relaxed and as if they are enjoying the experience. A great deal of effort and concentration is required during a competition.
During training, vast amounts of time is spent perfecting technique, sometimes hours and hours on just a few steps. This is so that it becomes 'habit' - a good habit to perform a technique correctly. There are far too many aspects to worry about during the actual competition so the more that can become second-nature or habit, the better.
Hypnosis can help with this by enhancing the visualisation experience, making it more 'real', therefore helping with muscle-memory and entrenching the 'good habit'. This process can be used not only with their technique but also with other aspects of their performance, for example style, breathing and posture amongst others.
In trance, whole dance routines can be 'practiced' in the mind along with 'what if' scenarios - such as what to do if another couple is blocking your intended path.
During training, vast amounts of time is spent perfecting technique, sometimes hours and hours on just a few steps. This is so that it becomes 'habit' - a good habit to perform a technique correctly. There are far too many aspects to worry about during the actual competition so the more that can become second-nature or habit, the better.
Hypnosis can help with this by enhancing the visualisation experience, making it more 'real', therefore helping with muscle-memory and entrenching the 'good habit'. This process can be used not only with their technique but also with other aspects of their performance, for example style, breathing and posture amongst others.
In trance, whole dance routines can be 'practiced' in the mind along with 'what if' scenarios - such as what to do if another couple is blocking your intended path.
Hypnotherapy for Body-Building
In bodybuilding, there are two main areas that hypnosis has its most common association, these are;
· Weight Control, and
· Body Enhancement.
Weight control is as much about psychology as it is physiology. It's not what you eat but why you eat that remains the foundation of overeating. The reason people find it difficult to lose weight is usually an emotional or psychological one. There are many unconscious motivations and barriers to successful weight-loss that actively prevent one from going to the gym or eating less. Our minds control everything and if our unconscious mind has an alternative agenda to what we consciously desire, we may get stuck in a constant circle of ‘diet and failure’. It's an emotional, psychological issue. We can all exercise if we wish but there must be motivation to get us to go to the gym.
Body builders can also be sufferers of low self-esteem. Although most are probably not suicidal their focus is absolutely upon their bodies, and this could suggest a poor self-image.
With good direction we can use hypnosis to intensify our client’s training session to go far beyond their usual level of pain threshold whilst still remaining safe for our client. It is documented that the ability of hypnosis to increase emotional responses, also serves to release testosterone in the body, aiding muscular development.
Mental training also helps to improve physical training, helping your mind get in sync with your body.
· Weight Control, and
· Body Enhancement.
Weight control is as much about psychology as it is physiology. It's not what you eat but why you eat that remains the foundation of overeating. The reason people find it difficult to lose weight is usually an emotional or psychological one. There are many unconscious motivations and barriers to successful weight-loss that actively prevent one from going to the gym or eating less. Our minds control everything and if our unconscious mind has an alternative agenda to what we consciously desire, we may get stuck in a constant circle of ‘diet and failure’. It's an emotional, psychological issue. We can all exercise if we wish but there must be motivation to get us to go to the gym.
Body builders can also be sufferers of low self-esteem. Although most are probably not suicidal their focus is absolutely upon their bodies, and this could suggest a poor self-image.
With good direction we can use hypnosis to intensify our client’s training session to go far beyond their usual level of pain threshold whilst still remaining safe for our client. It is documented that the ability of hypnosis to increase emotional responses, also serves to release testosterone in the body, aiding muscular development.
Mental training also helps to improve physical training, helping your mind get in sync with your body.
Hypnotherapy for Football
You can improve football performance by developing the natural ability to follow directions and stick to a plan and you can also benefit from the ability to think quickly on your feet, making necessary improvisational changes in order to beat the competition.
For faster sports in particular, you can improve your performance by improving your ability to react quickly, particularly where play consists of carefully planned approaches and you are aware that the other team’s agenda is to thwart your plans. Sometimes it is also necessary to make sudden decisions when a game plan fails. When your mind is agile, you are better able to use improvisation to overcome unexpected obstacles. Having a good game plan is extremely important and it is necessary that you use your mind on a conscious and unconscious level in order to follow a plan smoothly and with quick reaction. This gives a significant edge on their competition.
Hypnosis for football can help to peel away self-doubt - making split-second decisions possible - with this ability it is likely that you will be able to perform;
· better,
· faster and;
· with more accuracy automatically.
The beauty of hypnosis is that you don’t have to put conscious effort into your processes because your unconscious mind has the ability to help you react quickly and appropriately without over-analyzing a situation.
For faster sports in particular, you can improve your performance by improving your ability to react quickly, particularly where play consists of carefully planned approaches and you are aware that the other team’s agenda is to thwart your plans. Sometimes it is also necessary to make sudden decisions when a game plan fails. When your mind is agile, you are better able to use improvisation to overcome unexpected obstacles. Having a good game plan is extremely important and it is necessary that you use your mind on a conscious and unconscious level in order to follow a plan smoothly and with quick reaction. This gives a significant edge on their competition.
Hypnosis for football can help to peel away self-doubt - making split-second decisions possible - with this ability it is likely that you will be able to perform;
· better,
· faster and;
· with more accuracy automatically.
The beauty of hypnosis is that you don’t have to put conscious effort into your processes because your unconscious mind has the ability to help you react quickly and appropriately without over-analyzing a situation.
Hypnotherapy for Boxing
Boxers Frank Bruno and Nigel Benn have also employed hypnosis in order to perform at their peak. In fact, Boxer Chris Eubank was once defeated by Steve Collins who attributed much of the victory to the fact that he had used hypnosis in his mental preparation for the fight. Collins was’ hypnotically programmed’ to deliver two punches for every one thrown by his competitor. In the fight, Eubank threw 300 punches, compared to over 600 from Collins.
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