Pain Reduction & Management
Hypnosis & Self-Hypnosis, Stress Reduction & Behavioral Medicine
Can help you to reduce or eliminate pain, and
Reduce or eliminate the need for medications & their side-effects
Pain related medical conditions
Acute pain
Alcoholism
Amputation (after amputation)
Angina
Arthritis (rheumatoid, osteoarthritis, psoriatic)
Asthma
Back pain
Bone & joint pain
Cancer
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Chemotherapy
Chronic pain
Conversion reaction pain
Diabetes
Endometriosis
Facial nerve problems
Fibromyalgia
Gastro-intestinal disorders
Gout
Headaches (migraine, tension)
HIV infection or AIDS
Herpes
Irritable bowel syndrome (I.B.S.)
Knee pain
Lupus
Lyme disease
Menstrual pain
Multiple sclerosis
Muscle spasm
Neuropathic pain (caused by damage or disease of somatosensory nervous system)
Nociceptive pain (caused by damage to body tissue)
Panic attacks
Pelvic pain
Penile pain
Phantom limb pain
Post-surgery
Psoriasis
Raynaud’s syndrome
Reflux
Shingles
Skin conditions
Spinal cord compression
Stomach pain
Syphilis
Thyroid problems
TMJ & bruxism
and others…
Dr. Sheldon provides
Behavioral Medicine Services, including:
Hypnosis
Self-hypnosis
Bio-feedback
Psychotherapy
C.B.T. (cognitive behavioral therapy)
Guided imagery
Meditation
N.L.P. (neurolinguistic programming)
Behavior therapy
Desensitization
Lifestyle coaching
Marriage counseling
Introduction
I have specialized in the reduction and elimination of pain since 1983, when I wrote my Doctoral Dissertation on the “Use of Hypnosis for Pain Management in Childbirth.”
I worked at U.C.L.A. – Santa Monica Medical Center, specifically helping women in active labor to reduce pain – even when morphine could not help sufficiently.
In addition I have years of experience working with cancer patients to reduce pain – and reduce the need for pain medication, as well as provide pain relief related to a variety of medical conditions listed on the left panel of this page. .
Pain is very complex
Pain is a psychological, emotional and physiological process and experience. Under certain circumstances pain can be relatively easy to reduce or eliminate. However, sometimes pain can be difficult to reduce or eliminate. It depends on the kind of pain and the psychological, emotional and social factors involved.
Hypnosis and self hypnosis are usually the very best non-medical intervention to use in reducing and eliminating pain.
When working with patients who have pain, I first help them to eliminate or reduce the causal factors of their pain. When that is not possible or only partially possible, I teach my patients to use hypnosis to eliminate or reduce the pain experience from their awareness.
Note: The elimination of pain itself (as opposed to the causes of the pain) must be done with physician approval – for a variety of reasons. For example, a person with chronic headache pain, must rule out that it is not being caused by a tumor. If the cause of the pain is tension, hypnosis is a safe and effective way to teach the patient to reduce stress along with its headache.
Sometimes pain is a signal that we must pay attention to. For example, hip pain can be a sign to the patient that it is time to sit and let the hip relax. I teach such a patient to have the subconscious mind give a different signal (for example, a painless sensation felt in a finger) to be the sign that the hip needs to rest.
I wrote a comprehensive article on the use of hypnosis and self-hypnosis for an Israeli medical magazine published for physicians who specialize in pain disorders. I was asked by Dr. Silviu Brill, Director, Institute for Pain Medicine, Tel Aviv Medical Center, Israel, and President of the Israeli Pain Association, to write this article The Israeli medical magazine is called “כאב” (“Pain”). To view my article on pain management .>>
I also wrote an article on the use of hypnosis and self-hypnosis in the treatment of Oncology patients. This article also includes useful information regarding pain management. To view my article on Oncology >>
My approach to Helping Children reduce and manage pain
Children often respond more quickly and positively to hypnosis, as they usually have more open, flexible and creative imaginations, than do adults. They are able to suspend aspects of reality and thereby block pain and utilize a variety of hypnotic and self-hypnosis techniques to both reduce or eliminate pain and create positive inner experience.
For additional information regarding my work with children you can read the article I wrote for Israel’s medical magazine, – “Pediatricians”>>
You can also visit my web site page Children & Teens >>
Please feel welcome to call me if you have any questions regarding how I work, and
how I would approach helping you achieve your goals.
Dr. Sheldon discusses his work in Behavioral Medicine and the treatment of Stress Disorders on television health show. (1988) (length 28 minutes).
Dr. Sheldon demonstrates biofeedback on television health show. (1988) (length 12 minutes)
Additional Resources
Endorsements
Click here to view the endorsements by physicians, hospitals, universities and patients of my work.
Stress & Pain Reduction – Dr. Sheldon presents useful insights regarding the psychological, social & behavioral dynamics of stress & pain & related medical disorders. (1996) (length 57 minutes)
Hypnosis & Stress Management Dr. Sheldon presents on Princess Cruises (1996) (length 65 minutes)
Some of My Articles
Health & Behavioral Medicine
Dr. Sheldon’s articles published in “Connections”, and Israeli magazine (In English)
My articles published in Israeli medical magazines for physicians (In Hebrew)
Almost all of my clients and patients see improvement within a couple of sessions. In fact I tell all of my new and prospective clients and patients that they will know within two meetings if I am the right therapist for them.
Of course specific results cannot be guaranteed, and vary from client/patient to client/patient. Motivation and positive participation, as well as suggested homework are required of the patient. The work is a partnership between therapist and client/patient.
I want to give my patients the best treatment I can, and create the best treatment strategy for each patient. To do this, it is important for me to have the necessary information regarding their condition, medical history, and past and concurrent treatment, with other health professionals. I, therefore, request consultation with my patients’ medical doctors, when I treat them for medical or psychiatric diagnoses, or at least a copy of their medical report, so that I can offer the best services possible.
At times hypnosis or another modality of therapy is not recommended or appropriate for a particular client/patient. Whether hypnosis or another modality is utilized in the treatment of my client/patient is determined after consultation and evaluation of the client/patient, the specific issues presented the preference of the client/patient, and the client/patient’s medical history.
Regarding hypnotherapy: Hypnotherapy and hypnosis are usually very good treatment interventions. However, hypnosis is contraindicated under certain circumstances. For example, hypnosis is usually contraindicated for individuals who suffer from severe psychiatric disorders, such as psychoses and schizophrenia.
A proper diagnosis and evaluation of each client/patient must be made before hypnosis is utilized. It is only at the request of the client/patient and at the evaluation and discretion of Dr. Sheldon that hypnosis will be utilized.
Often Dr. Sheldon consults with other physicians treating his client/patient as part of the evaluation and the creation of the proper treatment strategies, as well as to ensure that there is safety, harmony, coordination and consistency among the health professionals treating the client/patient and the treatment modalities utilized. Dr. Sheldon will also ask the client/patient to provide information regarding any medications or other drugs taken.
Regarding Testimonials and Endorsements: Of course what is written in testimonials and endorsements and professional recommendations represents the author’s experiences and opinions.
All of the above is for the well-being of the client/patient, and to make sure that all work is done with high ethical and professional standards, legally, effectively. I want to give excellent service and wants each of his clients/patients to be as successful as possible.
If you have any questions, please feel welcome to contact me.
DISCLAIMER:
Of course specific results cannot be guaranteed, and vary from client/patient to client/patient. Motivation and positive participation, as well as suggested homework are required of the patient. The work is a partnership between therapist and client/patient.
I want to give my patients the best treatment I can, and create the best treatment strategy for each patient. To do this, it is important for me to have the necessary information regarding their condition, medical history, and past and concurrent treatment, with other health professionals. I, therefore, request consultation with my patients’ medical doctors, when I treat them for medical or psychiatric diagnoses, or at least a copy of their medical report, so that I can offer the best services possible.
At times hypnosis or another modality of therapy is not recommended or appropriate for a particular client/patient. Whether hypnosis or another modality is utilized in the treatment of my client/patient is determined after consultation and evaluation of the client/patient, the specific issues presented the preference of the client/patient, and the client/patient’s medical history.
Regarding hypnotherapy: Hypnotherapy and hypnosis are usually very good treatment interventions. However, hypnosis is contraindicated under certain circumstances. For example, hypnosis is usually contraindicated for individuals who suffer from severe psychiatric disorders, such as psychoses and schizophrenia.
A proper diagnosis and evaluation of each client/patient must be made before hypnosis is utilized. It is only at the request of the client/patient and at the evaluation and discretion of Dr. Sheldon that hypnosis will be utilized.
Often Dr. Sheldon consults with other physicians treating his client/patient as part of the evaluation and the creation of the proper treatment strategies, as well as to ensure that there is safety, harmony, coordination and consistency among the health professionals treating the client/patient and the treatment modalities utilized. Dr. Sheldon will also ask the client/patient to provide information regarding any medications or other drugs taken.
Regarding Testimonials and Endorsements: Of course what is written in testimonials and endorsements and professional recommendations represents the author’s experiences and opinions.
All of the above is for the well-being of the client/patient, and to make sure that all work is done with high ethical and professional standards, legally, effectively. I want to give excellent service and wants each of his clients/patients to be as successful as possible.
If you have any questions, please feel welcome to contact me.