Abstract

Chronic pain is thought to develop from intense repetitive nociceptive (acute) pain. This condition has various forms and can persist for longer than 3 months, such that finding efficacious treatment is challenging in the clinical setting. The essence of this review is to present a selection of studies highlighting anatomical changes in brain activity in acute and chronic pain. An overview of the interaction between pain and psychological conditions will also be examined followed by the physiological effect of hypnosis. The review concludes with recommendations for further work in developing robust pain management in clinical hypnotherapy practice.

Key words: Chronic pain; pain pathway; hypnotherapy; hypnotic suggestions; pain modulation; pathophysiology