The use of hypnosis for pain relief for patients with polyradiculoneuritis

At the Royal Perth Hospital, pain during physiotherapy range of movement and muscle stretching exercises has been a significant problem for some patients who have had polyradiculoneuritis, otherwise known as the Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS). Anxiety often accompanies GBS and can exacerbate the experience of pain. Regular analgesics have failed to adequately control the patients' pain such that full range of movement has been impossible and soft tissue shortening has occurred. Recently, alternative pain control in the form of hypnotherapy has been used during physiotherapy sessions. Two case studies are presented as examples of the use of hypnotherapy at the Royal Perth Hospital. These describe the benefit of hypnotherapy for pain control in some patients who have GBS.