A recent Body + Soul Magazine article described a clinical study reporting that mindful meditation may deliver lasting benefits for the relief of fibromyalgia. By using guided imagery the test group became aware of the connection between stressful situations - a common trigger of fibromyalgia pain - and the pain they experienced and consequently were able to alleviate.

The report was corroboration of my own use of visualization to relieve chronic pain and added further evidence of the role our mind plays in the healing process. Undeniably there is a relation between the mind and the body (and the spirit as well) and after observing an increasing number of clients in a trance state make the connection between entrenched negative beliefs and their physical well being I can postulate that Self-hypnosis may well be an effective alternative treatment for fibromyalgia and other forms of chronic pain. With practice after a few sessions in my office, clients usually find it easy to hypnotize themselves, learning how to focus on an image that blocks their perception of pain -- thus, feeling less pain. Clients are given audiocassettes for use at home to help reinforce the positive suggestions implanted in the office sessions.

Fibromyalgia means pain in the muscles, ligaments, and tendons Ð the soft fibrous tissues in the body. The primary symptoms include widespread throbbing and stabbing musculoskeletal pain, severe fatigue, and disturbed sleep. More women than men are afflicted with fibromyalgia, but it shows up in people of all ages. A conservative estimate of its prevalence is 2% of the general population, but it may be as high as 3-5%.

No one knows what causes fibromyalgia. Without an identifiable physical cause for your chronic pain, you may worry that the pain is all in your head. It's not your imagination. By definition, pain is a subjective and personal experience. Its existence cannot be proved. But what you feel is very real. Perhaps self-hypnosis can supplement the medications you currently take, and ease the pain.

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