Larisa Lipianu is a mental health specialist who empowers individuals with multiple sclerosis and autoimmune illnesses to manage symptoms, overcome mental barriers, and reclaim their lives using holistic, natural tools. Her mission is to help those with chronic conditions alleviate pain and create a fulfilling life despite challenges.
Living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) can feel like a never-ending battle with the enemy attacking from all sides. One moment, you feel strong, independent, and confident in your abilities; the next, you're feeling exhausted, in pain, and wondering if it will ever stop. Can you relate? This illness can be a roller coaster of feelings and emotions, and many pharmaceutical solutions are unfortunately ineffective.
Hypnotherapy is a helpful therapy that works alongside regular MS treatments as a good complement to ease symptoms, help the nervous system, and improve well-being in people with MS.
It involves listening to a relaxation meditation that helps you focus and feel more aware. This state of mind is like when we daydream, get lost in thought, or are really into a good book, except, in this case, it has healing purposes. In therapy, hypnosis lets you reach your subconscious mind (the part of the brain that controls most of what our brain does) to deal with deeper root causes of diseases.
Conscious vs. subconscious
Our subconscious mind forms approximately 95% of our brain and is a million times more powerful than the conscious mind. Our conscious mind is the part of the brain that we use to interact with the world. Let’s explore them more in-depth.
When we need to make a decision, solve a problem, or engage in a conversation, we use our conscious mind. It deals with logic, reason, and voluntary actions. It is the "thinking" part of our mind that processes the information we are directly focusing on.
Our subconscious mind is the part of the brain that is responsible for all the actions of our body outside of awareness.
Our memories, beliefs, habits, and automatic bodily functions happen in the subconscious mind. It controls our blood circulation, regulates our digestion and memories, and automates the moves when we learn to drive a car or play an instrument (what's commonly called "muscle memory"). In other words, It is the most powerful part of our mind that makes our life happen.
Hypnotherapy can help us access the subconscious mind and direct it in a way that can help us achieve our goals, change our beliefs, and even promote healing.
In the medical industry, many researchers have highlighted the power the subconscious mind can have on healing the body.
Dr. Bruce Lipton, a renowned cell biologist and pioneer in the field of epigenetics (basically, the study of how gene activity can be changed without altering the DNA sequence), strongly advocates for using hypnosis as a powerful tool for healing and creating positive change in both mental and physical health.
His research shows that our genes are not the primary determinants of our health and that our environment, including our thoughts, beliefs, and perceptions, can influence genetic expression (that is to say, how our genes are turned on or off to influence our health and states.
For people who have auto-immune illnesses such as multiple sclerosis, his research demonstrated that even if a person has others in the family with MS, they can change their biology and tap into the subconscious mind to change their beliefs. He is a strong advocate that hypnosis is a powerful tool to release beliefs and create a healthy mind that can heal any genetically predisposed illness.
How can hypnotherapy help with multiple sclerosis?
Although the research on multiple sclerosis and hypnotherapy is limited, many studies have highlighted the positive benefits of hypnotherapy and managing the following MS symptoms:
1. Pain management
Several studies conducted at the University of Washington by Dr. Mark P Jensen on Chronic pain found hypnosis to be very beneficial in reducing pain and increasing well-being in people with multiple sclerosis.
In clinical trials, patients with multiple sclerosis were assigned self-hypnosis recordings to listen to while others were given general progressive muscle relaxation (PMR), which is a mindfulness technique.
The results of the study found that all participants who listened to hypnosis had reported a decrease in their pain and that hypnosis was more beneficial than the progressive muscle relaxation.
In another experiement, Dr. Jensen measured the benefits of EEG neurofeedback (a method that uses real-time brainwave monitoring to help you train your brain to function more effectively) for chronic pain management in 20 individuals with MS and found that all patients listening to hypnosis have significantly reduced their pain, and that hypnosis coupled with neurofeedback was even more effective than doing each therapy on its own.
Several other studies have demonstrated the benefits of hypnosis in managing pain for patients with MS.
In an interview conducted with the National Hypnotherapy Society, Dr. Jensen highlights that patients who used hypnosis in his clinical trials had not only experienced a positive outcome on MS symptoms but also noticed a reduction in anxiety, better sleep, and an increase in well-being.
He argues that no other medical treatment for MS has given that many positive side effects in a patient and that these benefits alone should encourage someone to try hypnosis.
He also advises people to be cautious when choosing a hypnotherapist and to work with someone who is registered, qualified, and who understands multiple sclerosis.
2. Fatigue
Another benefit found in the clinical trials was that hypnosis can reduce fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis.
A study conducted by the Scientific Institute for Research (IRCCS) in Messina reviewed 121 publications on the effects of hypnosis and hypnotherapy for managing multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms, including fatigue.
The researchers found that hypnotic treatment significantly reduced the intensity of fatigue, improved psychological well-being, and enhanced physical functioning in MS patients.
Unlike other nonpharmacological techniques, hypnotherapy was shown to have unique benefits in managing both the physical and psychological aspects of fatigue.
I observed the same positive impact on my clients battling chronic illness.
One entrepreneur who was struggling with chronic fatigue for 10 months felt constantly sabotaged by the unpredictability of the illness.
Her business was stagnating, as she was often hit by episodes of fatigue that kept her in bed in pain for weeks.
After a session with me, she immediately felt better and moved her body more freely. The stiffness disappeared and she felt energised.
She started to integrate hypnotherapy in her daily life, in addition to having weekly sessions with me. Her fatigue episodes have reduced significantly, and she rarely experiences them anymore.
She then had the strength to take responsibility for her health and went to her doctor to undergo intolerance tests. These tests revealed that some types of food were aggravating her symptoms. She then used hypnotherapy to make dietary changes and create a healthier lifestyle.
Combining hypnotherapy with dietary changes gave her amazing results: her episodes of intense fatigue reduced dramatically, and she only experiences them once a year now! My client is now equipped with all the tools she needs to manage this episode and keep working on her projects and moving forward.
That's how powerful hypnotherapy is!
3. Stress and support with mental health
Stress is a well-known factor that may contribute to flare-ups, exacerbate MS symptoms, and potentially worsen the progression of the disease.
Chronic stress can lead to an overactive immune response, which is particularly harmful in MS, where the immune system mistakenly attacks the protective covering of nerves.
Hypnotherapy is a powerful tool for managing stress by inducing a deep state of relaxation and altering the body's stress response.
Research has shown that hypnosis can significantly reduce stress levels; for instance, a study published in the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis found that hypnosis was effective in lowering stress in participants and confirmed the efficiency of this tool that can positively impact patients with MS and improve their mental health.
By calming the nervous system and promoting mental well-being, hypnotherapy helps individuals with MS manage their symptoms more effectively.
4. Improve cognitive functions
Hypnosis has shown promising potential in improving cognitive functions (that is to say, how well your brain can think, remember things, and solve problems) in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS).
Studies have demonstrated that hypnosis can lead to functional changes in brain areas related to attention, cognitive control, and focus, such as the frontal brain area, insula, and anterior cingulate cortex. These brain regions are essential for managing cognitive tasks. Improving their function may help alleviate common cognitive symptoms associated with MS, such as brain fog and difficulties in concentration.
MDPI. For instance, in one case study, a patient with MS who underwent hypnotherapy reported significant improvements in cognitive clarity and focus, which were complemented by MRI scans showing stabilization of brain lesions. The hypnosis sessions helped the brain re-establish connections that MS often disrupts, thereby enhancing the patient's cognitive abilities.
5. Improve sleep with the help of hypnotherapy
Sleep is crucial for individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) because it plays a vital role in managing symptoms, supporting overall brain health, and maintaining immune system function.
People with MS often experience disrupted sleep due to pain, spasticity, bladder issues, and other symptoms, which can exacerbate fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, and emotional instability, all of which are common in MS.
Sleep is necessary for recovery. Many factors can disturb sleep when you have MS: Pain, spasticity, bladder issues, restless leg syndrome, teeth grinding, IBS, muscle tensing, and other symptoms.
Hypnotherapy can be a natural solution to help our body relax, disconnect from the pain, lower the discomfort in the body, and teach our minds to enter a deep state of sleep, where the body can recover.
In addition, there is emerging research that suggests hypnosis may be incredibly helpful in helping with mobility, spasticity, muscle control, and repairing the nervous system.
To conclude, it's important to remember that the potential of our subconscious mind is beyond our understanding.
So, If your MS symptoms bother you, consider giving hypnotherapy a try. I'd be happy to be your therapist and coach.
You can book a free discovery call here so we can explore if we're a good fit so we can get you to regain your health and wellness, just like my client.
Read more from Larisa Lipianu
Larisa Lipianu, Clinical Hypnotherapist and Mindset Coach
Larisa Lipianu is a mindset coach, clinical hypnotherapist, and chronic illness mentor specializing in multiple sclerosis and autoimmune conditions. Drawing from her personal battle with multiple sclerosis, she uses a holistic approach that combines therapy, trauma healing, pain management, and lifestyle changes to help clients reduce their symptoms and live vibrant and fulfilling lives. Her experience has helped clients navigate the new diagnosis, adopt healthier lifestyle changes, reduce chronic fatigue, and heal pain after surgery. She works online and currently helps clients worldwide.
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