[Light Sleeper Treatment Malaysia] What makes someone a light sleeper?

What makes someone a light sleeper? 

For some people, the slightest noise awakens them at night. For others, the wailing siren of a passing fire truck doesn’t disturb their slumber. Just why, though, remains a bit of a mystery. Although many people are self-proclaimed light sleepers or heavy sleepers, researchers have found that little is actually known about why people react differently to noises and other stimuli during sleep. Genetics, lifestyle choices, and undiagnosed sleep disorders may all play a role. In addition, some studies suggest that differences in brainwave activity during sleep may also make someone a light or heavy sleeper.

Light and Deep Sleep During sleep, you alternate between cycles of REM (rapid eye movement) and NREM (non-rapid eye movement) that repeat about every 90 minutes. You spend about 75 percent of the night in NREM sleep, which consists of four stages of increasing relaxation. 

Stage one, or the phase between being awake and asleep, is considered light sleep. 

Deeper sleep begins in stage two, as your breathing and heart rate become regular and your body temperature drops. 

Stages three and four are the deepest and most restorative stages of sleep, in which breathing slows, muscles relax, and tissue growth and repair occurs. 

Someone who gets eight hours of sleep a night may not experience as much slow-wave, deep sleep as the person who get six hours of sleep.

What Contributes to Light Sleep?

A small study, published in 2010 in Current Biology, suggests that differences in how sleeping people respond to noise may be related to levels of brain activity called sleep spindles. The researchers found that people whose brains produced the most of these high-frequency sleep spindles were more likely to sleep through loud noises. But more research is needed to confirm the results. Dr. Neubauer said that if someone is complaining of not feeling rested because of being a light sleeper, they should look at the factors that might be contributing to the inability to achieve a deep sleep.

Now, for the first time, sleep researchers at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, led by neurologist Dr. Jeffrey Ellenbogen, have isolated the brain-wave pattern that predicts where an individual's brain has struck a balance between those demands — a window into how likely noises are to wake people from deep sleep.

For the three-night study, Ellenbogen's group invited 12 volunteers who reported being deep and healthy sleepers into a sleep lab with a comfy queen-size bed outfitted with enormous speakers at the headboard. The researchers recorded the participants' brain waves as they slept normally the first night, and then on subsequent nights as they were bombarded with 14 different noises — from the din of car traffic and the roar of airplane engines to flushing toilets and slamming doors — which were played at progressively louder volumes.

Ellenbogen paid particular attention to the patterns generated by the thalamus, a region deep in the brain that processes incoming visual and auditory stimuli. He found that the number of pulses, known as sleep spindles, generated by this organ and measured by an electroencephalogram (EEG), which records electrical activity in the brain, varied among the sleepers. Those with the highest number of spindles were able to sleep through more sounds without waking than those whose brains showed fewer spindles. "We wanted to know, if we counted the spindles the first night, did that predict anything about their subsequent sleep?" says Ellenbogen. "And indeed it did. More spindles meant they were more likely to be protected from sleep disruption."

How newmindcentre.com can help you? 

1) Neuro-Hypnotherapy:

Doctors at Harvard University found that hypnotherapy actually promotes faster healing. Get hypnotized. Many insomniacs have tried this with great success. Under hypnosis, you might work out any personal issues that are robbing you of sleep. A clinical hypnotherapist can also "program" you to sleep. Our neuro-hypnotherapy technique able to help you! Personalized self-hypnosis method to fall asleep will be developed based on your brainwave response.

2) EEG biofeedback therapy/Neurotherapy 

EEG biofeedback/Neurotherapy is based on the international standardized 10-20 electrode location system. it is essentially a way of teaching you how to self-regulate your own electrical activity in the brain. A powerful tool for helping people fall asleep and stay asleep. Over 3,000 licensed health professionals such as psychologists, therapists, and doctors now use this new technology daily with patients. As a group, they report significant and consistent improvements for client sleep problems.

Call to schedule an appointment to meet me.

Based on your condition, I can help you to find the cause and suggest appropriate treatment.

Contact me now for more information.

Source:

http://www.ehow.com/how_7828707_cure-light-sleeping.html

http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2009401,00.html

http://www.clearmindofcolorado.com/research-on-sleep-disorders/

Types of Mental Health Care Practitioners in Malaysia

Types of Mental Health Care Practitioners in Malaysia

Psychiatry, psychology, hypnotherapy, counseling and coaching are overlapping professions. Practitioners -- psychiatrists, counselors, hypnotherapists, psychologists and coaches -- are mental health care professionals. Their area of expertise is the mind -- and the way it affects behavior and well-being. They often work together to prevent, diagnose, and treat mental illness. And they are committed to helping people stay mentally well. But there are differences between psychiatry, psychology, hypnotherapy, coaching and counseling. And people sometimes find those differences confusing, especially when they are looking for help. The largest difference between the types of professionals is usually what they focus or specialize in, licensure requirements and their educational background.

The key to choosing which one of these professionals is right for you is to determine what kinds of things are important to you and finding a professional that seems to fit with your needs and personality. Feel free to email me ([email protected]) for more info.





1)Hypnotherapist
Professional governing body in Malaysia: The Association of Hypnotherapy Practitioners, Malaysia (AHPM)-AHPM is a member of The Federation of Complementary and Natural Medical Associations, Malaysia (FCNMAM). FCNMAM is a body recognized by the Department of Traditional and Complementary Medicine, Ministry of Health (MOH), Malaysia. 
Expertise: practice hypnotherapy and may practice psychotherapy but cannot do physical examinations, cannot prescribe drugs

2)Counselor
Professional governing body in Malaysia: Lembaga Kaunselor Malaysia-The Counselors’ Act 1998 sets the minimum competence level for the credentialing of a professional counselor in Malaysia. Only a person who is licensed to practice counseling under this Act is allowed to represent himself or herself as a counselor in the country.
Expertise: practice counseling and psychotherapy but cannot do physical examinations, cannot prescribe drugs





3)Clinical Psychologist
professional governing body in Malaysia: Allied Health Malaysia-The Allied Health Professions Bill 2015 was tabled for the first reading by Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam at the Dewan Rakyat. The Bill seeks to set up the Malaysian Allied Health Professions Council to register persons practising in the allied health industry which include clinical psychologist.
Expertise: practice psychotherapy but cannot do physical examinations, cannot prescribe drugs

4) Psychiatrist 
Professional governing body in Malaysia: Malaysian Medical Council-Psychiatrist need to apply for a Malaysian Medical License at the Malaysian Medical Council.
Expertise: able to diagnose and prescribe drugs, may practice psychotherapy, use electroconvulsive therapy, and admit people to the hospital.






5) Coach
professional governing body in Malaysia: None
Expertise: practice life, business, wellness or corporate coaching but cannot do physical examinations, cannot prescribe drugs

6) Neurotherapist
Professional governing body in Malaysia: None
Expertise: practice neurotherapy/EEG biofeedback/neurofeedback technique. It is a safe, non-invasive, alternative treatment option that relies on EEG biofeedback machine to monitor and visualize brain activity, and is used to help a variety of psychological and medical problems. But cannot do physical examinations, cannot prescribe drugs.


What is hypnotherapy?
Hypnotherapy -- uses guided relaxation, intense concentration, and focused attention to achieve a heightened state of awareness that is sometimes called a trance. 
The person's attention is so focused while in this state that anything going on around the person is temporarily blocked out or ignored. In this naturally occurring state, 
a person may focus his or her attention -- with the help of a trained therapist -- on specific thoughts or tasks. 
Hypnotherapy can be used in two ways, as suggestion therapy or for patient analysis.

1)Suggestion therapy: The hypnotic state makes the person better able to respond to suggestions. 
Therefore, hypnotherapy can help some people change certain behaviors, such as stopping smoking or nail biting. 
It can also help people change perceptions and sensations, and is particularly useful in treating pain.
2)Analysis: This approach uses the relaxed state to explore a possible psychological root cause of a disorder or symptom, 
such as a traumatic past event that a person has hidden in his or her unconscious memory. 
Once the trauma is revealed, it can be addressed in psychotherapy.
The hypnotic state allows a person to be more open to discussion and suggestion. 
It can improve the success of other treatments for many conditions, including:
-Phobias, fears, and anxiety
-Sleep disorders
-Depression
-Stress
-Post-trauma anxiety
-Grief and loss
Hypnotherapy also might be used to help with pain control and to overcome habits, such as smoking or overeating. 
It also might be helpful for people whose symptoms are severe or who need crisis management. 


What is Counseling?
Professional counseling is a professional relationship that empowers diverse individuals, families, and groups to accomplish mental health, wellness, education, and career goals. Counselors work with clients on strategies to overcome obstacles and personal challenges that they are facing. Counseling is a collaborative effort between the counselor and client. Professional counselors help clients identify goals and potential solutions to problems which cause emotional turmoil; seek to improve communication and coping skills; strengthen self-esteem; and promote behavior change and optimal mental health. How long does counseling take? Ideally, counseling is terminated when the problem that you pursued counseling for becomes more manageable or is resolved. '


What is psychotherapy?
In recent years, significant advances have been made in the field of psychotherapy. Psychotherapy, sometimes referred to as talk therapy, works on the assumption that the cure for a person's suffering lies within that person and that this cure can be facilitated through a trusting, supportive relationship with a psychotherapist. By creating an empathetic and accepting atmosphere, the therapist often is able to help the person identify the source of the problems and consider alternatives for dealing with them. The emotional awareness and insight that the person gains through psychotherapy often results in a change in attitude and behavior that allows the person to live a fuller and more satisfying life.

Psychotherapy is appropriate in a wide range of conditions. Even people who do not have a mental health disorder may find psychotherapy helpful in coping with such problems as employment difficulties, bereavement, or chronic illness in the family. Group psychotherapy, couples therapy, and family therapy are also widely used.

Most mental health practitioners practice one of six types of psychotherapy: supportive psychotherapy, psychoanalysis, psychodynamic psychotherapy, cognitive therapy, behavioral therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or interpersonal therapy.


What is coaching?
International Coach Federation (ICF) defines coaching as partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential, which is particularly important in today's uncertain and complex environment. To determine whether you or your company could benefit from coaching, start by summarizing what you would expect to accomplish in coaching. When an individual or business has a fairly clear idea of the desired outcome, a coaching partnership can be a useful tool for developing a strategy for how to achieve that outcome with greater ease. Since coaching is a partnership, ask yourself whether collaboration, other viewpoints, and new perspectives are valued. Also, ask yourself whether you or your business is ready to devote the time and the energy to making real changes. If the answer is yes, then coaching may be a beneficial way to grow and develop.


What is EEG biofeedback/neurofeedback/neurotherapy?
EEG biofeedback is a painless and drug-free way of helping an injured brain or impaired brain function return to a healthy state. It helps the brain to do a better job of regulating itself and the body. It is biofeedback for the brain and the body. EEG biofeedback is a method used to train brain activity in order to normalize Brain function. 
The electroencephalogram (EEG) is a measure of brain waves. Like other computers, the brain gives off tiny impulses that appear as electrical waves. The raw EEG can be separated into waves that vibrate at different rates or frequencies; beta (fastest) to alpha, theta, and delta (slowest). Brainwaves should be faster at front, slower at back; faster at left and slower at right. A “backwards brain” (slow at front and left, fast at back and right) tends to be poor in focus and attention, depressed or anxious. Brainwave slowing suggests brain injury and impairs normal brain function.






Source:
http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/mental_health_disorders/overview_of_mental_health_care/treatment_of_mental_illness.html
http://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/mental-health-hypnotherapy
http://www.counseling.org/aca-community/learn-about-counseling/what-is-counseling/overview
http://psychcentral.com/
http://www.webmd.com/
https://www.psychology.org.au/publications/inpsych/coaching/
http://coachfederation.org/need/landing.cfm?ItemNumber=978

用科技智慧EEG biofeedback，幫你改善自律神经失调

身体不适，却找不到病因？或许是自律神经失调！
自律神經系統由調節生理機能的交感神經系統、副交感神經系統組成，它們是兩股互相協調制衡的力量。交感神經系統會在面臨壓力或緊急狀況時啟動，協助做出「戰鬥或逃跑」的反應，例如心跳加速、肌肉收縮；而副交感神經系統則負責使心跳變慢、肌肉放鬆等，好讓我們能「休息和消化」。當太多、太久的壓力讓交感神經一直處在激活狀態時，就會讓自律神經系統失衡；好在，我們可以藉由某些訓練穩定神經系統，像是自我催眠疗法和脑波反馈生理回饋法等等。

在現在這個高科技的時代，還可以透過聰明的電子儀器，協助自己探索、嘗試控制生理狀態，找出讓自律神經系統回復穩定平衡的方法。

在国外，這個有許多醫師、心理治疗師會使用的身心症狀治療法叫做「生理回饋(biofeedback) 」。而Newmindcentre.com这里主要是透过大脑EEG脑电波来提供生理回馈。

EEG biofeedback therapy这非侵入性，安全，无痛，无副作用和非常科学的自然疗法已经可以在马来西亚newmindcentre.com我们这里找到。

马来西亚Newmindcentre.com的催眠治疗师，透過EEG biofeedback脑波生理回馈仪將脑电波生理訊息正確回饋，就能引導你在嘗試錯誤中學習控制大脑脑电波，身體與情緒狀態。例如，將Electrode（貼於大脑某部分、監控脑电波状态，然後告訴使用者：音乐停顿代表緊張程度增加、而音乐顺畅则代表緊張程度減少而且放松，請試著讓音乐越播越顺畅。即使不確定該怎麼做，但很多人能摸索、找出让音乐顺畅的做法，因而舒緩了緊繃的情绪和肌肉。生理回饋治療經常應用在偏頭痛、經前症候群的處理，以及學習降低血壓、克服失眠、控制焦慮、緩解疼痛等。

回想一下，小時候是如何學習綁鞋帶、騎腳踏車的?你可能在多次嘗試中，發現了該如何完成這些動作技巧，然後懂得重複、就學會了。

如今你想要學習掌控放鬆的感覺，可以藉著生理回饋儀器訊息的輔助，告訴你大脑脑电波的放鬆指標訊息，讓你知道自己找到放鬆的方向、做對了，那麼，你就可以重複練習創造同樣的感覺，逐漸精熟放鬆的技巧。當然，除了直接以生理回饋儀引導摸索出穩定神經系統的方法，亦可讓儀器提供呼吸/肌肉放鬆練習、脑波反馈自我催眠法(Neuro-hypnotherapy)練習等效果的客觀確認；大部分人就喜歡眼見為憑、有數據有真相吧！

看了以上這些介紹，會不會讓你很想試試以人工智慧小幫手協助自己發揮身體控制能力、改善自律神經失調、增加抗壓性呢？在马来西亚，受过EEG biofeedback专业训练和拥有丰富临床经验的人非常少有；若有興趣，欢迎email我询问详情：[email protected]

Hypnotherapy Malaysia for cancer pain management, cancer care and coping skills for cancer

Clinical Hypnosis for the Palliative Care of Cancer Patients 

August 27, 2012 | Oncology Nursing, Integrative Oncology, Palliative and Supportive Care, Survivorship

By Gary Elkins, PhD, William Fisher, MA, and Jim Sliwinski, MA

Clinical hypnosis has been defined as a mind-body therapy that involves a deeply relaxed state, individualized mental imagery, and therapeutic suggestion. Clinical hypnosis has a very long history, with reports of medical application dating back to the 18th century. Some have suggested that there is even evidence for the use of clinical hypnosis since ancient times, with inscriptions of hypnotic-like phenomena on a stone stele from Egypt during the reign of Ramses XII, some 3,000 years ago. The word hypnosis, derived from the Greek word for sleep, was coined by James Braid in 1841. Clinical hypnosis is a mind-body therapy, one of the fastest-growing and most commonly employed categories of complementary and alternative medicines (CAM), as defined by the NCCAM (National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine) of the National Institutes of Health. A national health interview survey of medical usage in 2007 found that 4 out of 10 US respondents reported having used complementary and alternative medical treatments in the previous year.[1] Further, research suggests that CAM use continues to be highest among those with chronic diseases (eg, cancer).[2,3] Mind-body interventions such as clinical hypnosis are also becoming popular for their ease of integration into an overall cancer survivorship treatment plan with relatively low risks.[4]

Hypnosis produces an altered state of consciousness, awareness, or perception. The hypnotic state is a highly relaxed state in which the patient’s mind (conscious and subconscious) is focused and receptive to therapeutic suggestion. It involves learning to use one’s mind and thoughts to manage emotional distress, (eg, anxiety, stress), unpleasant physical symptoms (eg, pain, nausea), or to help change certain habits or behaviors (eg, smoking). While hypnosis sessions may vary depending on a patient’s needs, a clinical hypnosis session typically comprises two basic phases:

Induction. During this phase, the therapist helps the patient to relax, and may ask the patient to imagine a peaceful scene that helps him or her to become more focused and concentrate on what is to be accomplished during the session.

Application. During this phase, the patient receives suggestions. Hypnotic suggestions, the key ingredient of hypnosis, are special statements that are designed to suggest relief from troubling symptoms.

A meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies of clinical hypnosis identified 57 studies that demonstrated hypnosis as an effective treatment for a number of health disorders and conditions including pain, smoking cessation, migraines, allergies, analgesia in labor, asthma, dermatology, dentistry, anxiety, hypertension, tinnitus, and postoperative recovery in surgery.[6]

What is the Evidence Related to Hypnosis and Cancer?

Clinical hypnosis has been described in the medical literature to relieve a broad spectrum of symptoms, including treatment of common symptoms associated with cancer care, as discussed below.

Pain

Hypnosis is the most frequently cited form of nonpharmacologic cognitive pain control.[7] Hypnotherapy for the management of chronic pain has been demonstrated to provide relief for the symptoms of pain in cancer, arthritis, sickle cell disease, temporomandibular disorder, and fibromyalgia. Hypnosis has demonstrated positive outcomes for the reduction of chronic and procedural-related pain in oncology.

A study of breast cancer patients found that those assigned to treatment (standard care or expressive-supportive therapy) that included clinical hypnosis demonstrated significantly less pain. In addition, patients who underwent hypnosis reported significantly less of an increase in pain over time.[8] Another study of advanced-stage cancer patients with malignant bone disease was conducted by randomizing patients to receive either hypnotherapy or supportive attention (eg, encouragement, active listening).[9] Results showed the hypnosis intervention group had a significant overall decrease in pain.

Syrjala and colleagues studied 45 cancer patients to evaluate the efficacy of hypnosis for pain relief following chemotherapy.[10] Participants were randomized into the following conditions: hypnosis, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), attention control, and standard care. There were no reported significant differences among the groups for nausea, presence of emesis, nor opioid intake; however, the hypnosis group showed a significant reduction in oral pain. Montgomery and colleagues studied 200 patients undergoing excisional breast biopsy or lumpectomy.[11] Participants in this study were randomly assigned to a hypnosis session or to a control condition involving nondirective empathic listening. The hypnosis group had significant reductions in pain intensity, self-reported pain unpleasantness, nausea, fatigue, and discomfort compared with the control. Moreover, the per-patient cost to the medical institution was $772.71 less for those in the hypnosis group compared with patients in the control group, because of reduced surgical time. Lang and colleagues conducted a randomized controlled trial evaluating hypnosis for women (n = 236) undergoing large core breast biopsy.[12] During the procedure, in addition to standard of care, participants received either empathetic attention or a hypnotic relaxation treatment. Results indicated that hypnosis reduced pain and anxiety compared to empathetic attention, which only showed a reduction in pain.

A recently published review examined the evidence from clinically controlled trials, evaluating hypnosis for procedural-related pain in pediatric oncology.[13] Eight randomized controlled trials were analyzed, demonstrating positive outcomes in clinical hypnosis for pain management in pediatric oncology.

Nausea

It has been reported that 70% to 80% of all cancer patients who receive chemotherapy experience nausea and vomiting.[14] Clinical hypnosis has been studied for relief of nausea and vomiting secondary to chemotherapy. In a randomized study of the efficacy of hypnosis in reducing nausea and vomiting in children receiving chemotherapy, researchers found children participating in hypnosis had less anticipatory nausea and vomiting and less overall vomiting compared with controls who did not undergo hypnosis.[15] This finding was replicated in a later study also demonstrating that patients using clinical hypnosis showed a reduced need for antiemetic medication.[16] A review by Richardson and colleagues of six randomized, controlled trials suggests there were large effect sizes for hypnotic treatments when compared with treatment as usual, and these were at least as large as the effects of CBT.[13] In a study of mediators of a brief hypnosis intervention to control side effects in breast cancer surgery patients, Montgomery and colleagues concluded that clinical hypnosis works to a significant extent through the two psychological mechanisms of cognition and emotion. Results of a study of a 200 breast cancer patients who underwent a presurgical hypnosis intervention to improve postsurgical side effects suggest that, to reduce postsurgical nausea, clinical hypnotic interventions should be designed to specifically target patient expectancies and distress.[17]

Fatigue

Cancer-related fatigue has long been recognized as one of the most difficult symptoms to manage during cancer treatment, and it remains the most common unrelieved symptom of cancer.[18] Research suggests that fatigue is a multidimensional syndrome which results from both cancer and cancer therapies, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Estimates of the prevalence of fatigue in cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy are diverse. Literature suggests that fatigue can affect 60% to 90% of patients receiving chemotherapy or radiation therapy.[19] This condition is managed through education of patients and caregivers about current evidence-based strategies to reduce fatigue, nonpharmacological interventions including exercise, and pharmacological therapies.[18] Despite the high prevalence of cancer-related fatigue, few intervention options exist.[20] A study was conducted to test the effectiveness of CBT and hypnosis for radiotherapy-related fatigue.[21] Breast cancer patients were randomly assigned to receive either standard care or CBT and hypnosis. Results show that with the cognitive-behavioral/hypnosis intervention, patients’ fatigue did not increase over the course treatment, whereas fatigue among patients receiving standard care increased linearly. Although this initial result is promising, additional research is critically needed in this area. To determine relative contributions of various interventions to fatigue relief in cancer patients, future studies should be designed with subjects assigned to groups providing hypnosis-only, CBT only, and combined cognitive-behavioral hypnotherapy, as well as a control group offering structured attention.

Hot Flashes

Clinical hypnosis for the treatment of hot flashes has been investigated. In two studies of breast cancer survivors, participants received five sessions of hypnotherapy, (provided approximately weekly) and were instructed in self-hypnosis. The hypnotic intervention was individualized to facilitate a hypnotic state, feelings of coolness, and control of symptoms. The results showed a 69% reduction of hot flashes relative to baseline,[22,23] and are comparable or superior to results from open-label studies with paroxetine and venlafaxine.[24] In a large ongoing randomized clinical trial of hypnosis for hot flashes, 184 post-menopausal women have been randomized to either clinical hypnosis or to structured-attention control that provides supportive, non-directive counseling. Preliminary unpublished results concur with earlier studies suggesting that hot flashes can be reduced by 70% at 3 months follow-up among post-menopausal women.[25]

Sleep

Hypnosis can also be an effective treatment option for cancer patients suffering from sleep problems. Cancer patients experience sleeping difficulties for a number of reasons, including anxiety related to diagnosis, depression, pain, fatigue, and other treatment-related side effects. Cancer patients have been reported to be nearly three times more likely than members of the general population to meet diagnostic criteria for insomnia.[26]

While sleep disorders can be treated with pharmacotherapy, this treatment modality carries with it the inherent risks of dependence and potentially dangerous drug interactions. Furthermore, pharmacotherapy does not treat the underlying source of the sleep disturbance. Hypnosis provides cancer patients with a safe alternative treatment option that not only improves the ability to obtain restful sleep, but also leads to improvements in other symptom areas.

A study conducted by Elkins et al supports the efficacy of clinical hypnosis in improving the quality of sleep for cancer patients.[23] During this study, 51 breast cancer patients (all female) were assigned to either five weekly sessions of hypnosis or a waitlist control group. The main outcome for this study was a reduction in hot flash occurrence. At the conclusion of the 5-week treatment period, not only did cancer patients report fewer hot flash related daily disturbances, but they also reported significant improvements in sleep quality, as well as fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression. This study provides an example of how hypnosis may be effective at treating a target symptom and improving the patient’s overall quality of life.

How Is Hypnosis Currently Used in Cancer Care?

Hypnosis has been specifically employed in the palliative care of cancer patients to reduce symptoms associated with radiation and chemotherapy, such as pain, nausea, fatigue, hot flashes, and sleep dysfunction. Length of hypnotic treatment varies depending on the nature and severity of the problem. Clinical hypnosis treatment for cancer patients may range from a single session to multiple sessions. In research, cancer patients undergoing clinical hypnotherapy typically receive approximately five sessions or more of clinical hypnosis, each involving a hypnotic induction and instruction in self-hypnosis. The practice of self-hypnosis helps patients achieve a relaxed, therapeutic, hypnotic state. Professionals serve as facilitators of self-hypnosis, often providing hypnosis audio recordings for patients to use between sessions.

Hypnosis is frequently offered in conjunction with other therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Research suggests that using a combination of hypnosis and CBT improved outcomes more than those achieved for at least 70% of patients who used CBT alone.[27] Additionally, CBT techniques can be utilized in a hypnotic context by preceding the CBT technique with a hypnotic induction.[28]

What Are the Potential Risks?

Clinical hypnosis has been commonly described as a safe method when used correctly, having few harmful side effects.[8] However, individuals may initially feel drowsy following hypnosis, due to its focus on increasing relaxation and decreasing anxiety. Unexpected delusional thoughts and trancelike states are also possible. Therefore, clinical hypnosis for patients with psychological disorders involving delusions is unadvisable. The clinical hypnosis literature has commonly listed exclusions for study participants with diagnoses of schizophrenia or borderline personality disorder.

What's the Bottom-Line Message?

Clinical hypnosis is a viable option for cancer patients, who, once trained in self-hypnosis, may employ these techniques to manage myriad symptoms.

In particular, hypnosis as an adjunct treatment for cancer patients and survivors can be effective in treating pain, nausea, fatigue, hot flashes, and sleep disorders. While current research into the efficacy of clinical hypnosis for the palliative treatment of cancer patients is extremely encouraging, some studies have been limited by less-than-desirable sample sizes, and there is a dearth of large randomized controlled trials. Additional research will be needed for clinical hypnosis to become a well-established evidence-based treatment for the palliative care of cancer patients. However, the existing evidence from all clinical research supports inclusion of clinical hypnosis as an effective adjunct therapy in the palliative cancer treatment milieu, and therefore hypnosis should be considered for patients with cancer on a case-by-case basis.

Financial Disclosure: The authors have no significant financial interest or other relationship with the manufacturers of any products or providers of any service mentioned in this article.

Acknowledgment: Dr. Elkins is supported by NCCAM grant 5U01AT004634 and NCI grant R21CA131795.

Source:
http://www.cancernetwork.com/oncology-nursing/clinical-hypnosis-palliative-care-cancer-patients#sthash.GWd1NYqx.dpuf

Hypnotherapy Malaysia for pain control and pain management

Hypnosis is a scientifically proven and effective form of pain relief.

Hypnosis is likely to be effective for most people suffering from diverse forms of pain, with the possible exception of a minority of patients who are resistant to hypnotic interventions (American Psychological Association, July 2, 2004).

Hypnotherapy is used to promote relaxation and induce an altered state of consciousness. The resulting psychological shift is intended to help people gain control over their states of awareness, which theoretically can help them gain control over their physical body, including their pain symptoms. 

Neuro-hypnotherapy is a viable option for patients suffering from chronic pain, who, once trained in self-hypnosis, may employ these techniques to do pain mangement anytime they need it. Welcome to contact us for more info.

Scientific Proof & Research Studies:

Meta-Analyses

Meta-analyses are essentially studies of studies. Where individual studies can sometimes show contradictory results, meta-analyses can be used to assess the performance of a treatment over a number of studies - this takes advantage of a larger sample size and hopefully leads to a more reliable result.

Montgomery, David, Winkel, Siverstein & Bovbjerg (2002)

This meta-analysis examined the results of 20 published controlled studies examining the use of hypnosis as an adjunct with surgical patients. In these studies hypnosis was typically administered to patients in the form of a relaxing induction phase followed by suggestions for the control of side effect profiles (e.g. pain, nausea, distress). Only studies in which patients were randomised to either a hypnosis or control group (no-treatment, routine care, or attention control group) were included. The results revealed that patients in the hypnosis treatment groups had better outcomes than 89% of the patients in the control groups. It was found that adjunctive hypnosis helped the majority of patients reduce adverse consequences of surgical interventions.

A Meta-Analysis of Hypnosis for Chronic Pain Problems: A Comparison Between Hypnosis, Standard Care, and Other Psychological Interventions

Hypnosis is regarded as an effective treatment for psychological and physical ailments. However, its efficacy as a strategy for managing chronic pain has not been assessed through meta-analytical methods. The objective of the current study was to conduct a meta-analysis to assess the efficacy of hypnosis for managing chronic pain. When compared with standard care, hypnosis provided moderate treatment benefit. Hypnosis also showed a moderate superior effect as compared to other psychological interventions for a nonheadache group. The results suggest that hypnosis is efficacious for managing chronic pain. Given that large heterogeneity among the included studies was identified, the nature of hypnosis treatment is further discussed.

http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/routledg/iceh/2014/00000062/00000001/art00001?crawler=true

A meta-analysis of hypnotically induced analgesia: how effective is hypnosis?

Over the past two decades, hypnoanalgesia has been widely studied; however, no systematic attempts have been made to determine the average size of hypnoanalgesic effects or establish the generalizability of these effects from the laboratory to the clinic. This study examines the effectiveness of hypnosis in pain management, compares studies that evaluated hypnotic pain reduction in healthy volunteers vs. those using patient samples, compares hypnoanalgesic effects and participants' hypnotic suggestibility, and determines the effectiveness of hypnotic suggestion for pain relief relative to other nonhypnotic psychological interventions. Meta-analysis of 18 studies revealed a moderate to large hypnoanalgesic effect, supporting the efficacy of hypnotic techniques for pain management. The results also indicated that hypnotic suggestion was equally effective in reducing both clinical and experimental pain. The overall results suggest broader application of hypnoanalgesic techniques with pain patients.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10769981

Bell & Meadows (2013). "Efficacy of a brief relaxation training intervention for pediatric recurrent abdominal pain." Cognitive and Behavioral Practice 20(1): 81-92.  Excerpt: "The intervention consisted of a single 1-hour session including psychoeducation and coaching of breathing retraining; the length, duration, and content of the intervention were designed with a goal of maximum portability to primary-care settings....  This brief intervention was successful in lessening abdominal pain...  The intervention was also successful in decreasing some children's general somatic symptoms."

Birnie, et al. (2014). "Systematic review and meta-analysis of distraction and hypnosis for needle-related pain and distress in children and adolescents." Journal of Pediatric Psychology 39(8): 783-808. Excerpt: "Findings showed strong support for distraction and hypnosis for reducing pain and distress from needle procedures. The quality of available evidence was low, however."

Donatone (2013). "Focused suggestion with somatic anchoring technique: Rapid self-hypnosis for pain management." American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis 55(4): 325-342. Excerpt: "The focused suggestion with somatic anchoring technique has been used with various types of pain, including somatic pain (arthritis, post-injury pain from bone breaks, or muscle tears), visceral pain (related to irritable bowel disease), and neuropathic pain (related to multiple sclerosis). This technique combines cognitive restructuring and mindfulness meditation with indirect and direct suggestions during hypnosis.... Focused suggestion with somatic anchoring technique is used with both acute and chronic pain conditions when use of long-term medication has been relatively ineffective." 

Flor, H. (2014). "Psychological pain interventions and neurophysiology: Implications for a mechanism-based approach." American Psychologist 69(2): 188-196. Excerpt: "A number of psychological pain treatments have been examined with respect to their effects on brain activity, ranging from cognitive- and operant behavioral interventions, meditation and hypnosis, to neuro- and biofeedback, discrimination training, imagery and mirror treatment, as well as virtual reality and placebo applications. These treatments affect both ascending and descending aspects of pain processing and act through brain mechanisms that involve sensorimotor areas as well as those involved in affective-motivational and cognitive-evaluative aspects. The analysis of neurophysiological changes related to effective psychological pain treatment can help to identify subgroups of patients with chronic pain who might profit from different interventions, can aid in predicting treatment outcome, and can assist in identifying responders and nonresponders, thus enhancing the efficacy and efficiency of psychological interventions."

Jensen, M. P. and D. R. Patterson (2014). "Hypnotic approaches for chronic pain management: Clinical implications of recent research findings." American Psychologist 69(2): 167-177. Excerpt: "Clinical trials show that hypnosis is effective for reducing chronic pain, although outcomes vary between individuals.... Neurophysiological studies reveal that hypnotic analgesia has clear effects on brain and spinal-cord functioning that differ as a function of the specific hypnotic suggestions made, providing further evidence for the specific effects of hypnosis." 

Kong, et al. (2013). "Functional connectivity of the frontoparietal network predicts cognitive modulation of pain." Pain 154(3): 459-467. Excerpt: "The experience of pain can be significantly influenced by expectancy (predictive cues). This ability to modulate pain has the potential to affect therapeutic analgesia substantially and constitutes a foundation for nonpharmacological pain relief....  After cue conditioning, visual cues can significantly modulate subjective pain ratings. Functional magnetic resonance imaging results suggested that brain regions pertaining to the frontoparietal network (prefrontal and parietal cortex) and a pain/emotion modulatory region (rostral anterior cingulate cortex) are involved in cue modulation during both pain anticipation and administration stage. Most interestingly...pretest resting state functional connectivity between the frontoparietal network (as identified by independent component analysis) and the rostral anterior cingulate cortex/medial prefrontal cortex was positively associated with cue effects on pain rating changes."


Trost & Parsons (2014). "Beyond distraction: Virtual reality graded exposure therapy as treatment for pain-related fear and disability in chronic pain." Journal of Applied Biobehavioral Research 19(2): 106-126. Excerpt: "In addition to mitigating costs associated with traditional exposure protocols, the VRGET platform facilitates patient treatment engagement, provides real-time assessment of valuable outcome variables such as affective response and kinematic adaptation, and promotes generalizability of treatment gains across clinical and home environments." Ussher, M., et al. (2014). "Immediate effects of a brief mindfulness-based body scan on patients with chronic pain." Journal of Behavioral Medicine 37(1): 127-134. Excerpt: "These data suggest that, in a clinic setting, a brief body scan has immediate benefits for those experiencing chronic pain."

Valentini, et al. (2013). "Hypnotic modulation of pain perception and of brain activity triggered by nociceptive laser stimuli." Cortex: A Journal Devoted to the Study of the Nervous System and Behavior 49(2): 446-462. Excerpt: "Hypnotic suggestions exerted a top−down modulatory effect on both evoked and induced-cortical brain responses triggered by selective nociceptive laser inputs. Furthermore, correlation analyses indicated that gamma power modulation and suggestions of hyperalgesia may reflect the process of allocating control resources to salient and threatening sensory-affective dimensions of pain."

Source:

http://hypnosis.tools/is-it-effective.html

http://kspope.com/pain.php

Neuro-hypnotherapy or EEG biofeedback for depression

The mind-body connection is prevalent in many diseases. 

What Research Says?

Cognitive hypnotherapy for major depressive disorder.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/22655331



Suggestion in the treatment of depression.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/23488249/




The power of belief and expectancy in understanding and management of depression.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/23488252/



Out-of-illness experience: hypnotically induced dissociation as a therapeutic 
resource in treating people with obstinate mental disorders.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/19711767



Feasibility of clinical hypnosis for the treatment of Parkinson's disease: a case study.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/23427841



Efficacy of hypnosis-based treatment in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a pilot study.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/23162510/



Antidepressants in the treatment of depression: the clinician and the controversy.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/23488250



Treating depression with antidepressants: 
drug-placebo efficacy debates limit broader considerations.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/23488253



Game-based biofeedback for paediatric anxiety and depression.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/2294290




Is alpha wave neurofeedback effective with randomized 
clinical trials in depression? A pilot study.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/21063132



A new neurofeedback protocol for depression.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/21568194



Audio-biofeedback training for posture and balance in 
patients with Parkinson's disease.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/21693054/?



Biofeedback therapy for symptoms of bowel dysfunction 
following surgery for colorectal cancer.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/21755415/


Bowel biofeedback treatment in patients with 
multiple sclerosis and bowel symptoms.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/21825891/



Biofeedback in the treatment of heart disease.
'' Preliminary data suggest that use of BFSM (biofeedback-assisted stress 
management) by heart failure patients may actually cause cellular and
molecular remodeling of the failing heart in the direction of normal. ''
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/21972325