Evening Standard, Thursday 27th of March 2014
Hospitals should use hypnotists to speed up patient recovery and save fortunes, it was claimed today. Hypnosis could help cut the time spent in theatre and on wards, reducing the cost of care, according to hypnotherapist Sharon Waxkirsh.
Ms Waxkirsh, who works in St John’s Wood, said: “I think every hospital should have a hypnotherapist on staff. It has the potential to save the NHS millions of pounds every year and get people out of hospital much quicker than with conventional recovery programs. Hypnosis can override the chemicals in the brain that cause us fear and tension. It can also allow us to subdue pain and let the body concentrate on healing itself.
Hypnotherapy can be used in place of or in conjunction with anesthesia for some patients. “It is possible to have it with all kinds of surgery to reduce the level of anesthesia needed but people are often more open to using this technique for dental work, “ she said. Ms Waxkirsh has also had one of her own wisdom teeth removed without anesthetic.
