Adventures in Mind-Body Medicine

Insights in integrative treatment from the staff of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine

by Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine

Dr. Steven Gurgevich is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine specializing in Mind-Body Medicine and the Director of The Mind-Body Clinic at the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine. See full bio

August 18, 2008, Integrative Medicine

Comments on "Hypnopuncture"

Hypnopuncture

By Steven Gurgevich, Ph.D. on August 18, 2008 in Adventures in Mind-Body Medicine

I have been teaching hypnosis to physicians and patients for over 30 years, but was not prepared for this experience. It involved combining acupuncture needles and hypnosis which produced some amazing results.

HypnoSage

Submitted by Claire DuCharme on August 20, 2008 - 12:48pm.

Amazing combination of modalities! I use Hypnosis with Massage as a combination also, and with GREAT results. In the past , it took alot of effort and time to have some clients relax, and with Hypnosis, its just a matter of minutes, before they are totally relaxed. I love it! And the results are wonderful! I believe that Hypnosis can be a very powerful additive to most therapies.
Thank You !

Nice combination

Submitted by Steven Gurgevich, Ph.D. on August 23, 2008 - 5:22pm.

Claire, when I treat myself to a massage I am always doing self-hypnosis to savor the pleasure and expand the time so that an hour seems like two hours of exquisite comfort. How wonderful that you combine hypnosis with your work. Dr G

hypnosis and acupuncture

Submitted by Margaret Hansen, D.C. on November 16, 2008 - 3:29pm.

great story! great combination!

Did Dr. Schiff use four gates (LI4 and Lv3) and Du20??

Thank you,
MH, DC

Yes, I think that was the name...

Submitted by Steven Gurgevich, Ph.D. on November 16, 2008 - 7:01pm.

Glad you enjoyed this piece of blog. Yes, I believe Dr. Schiff called it four gates. I had thought he called it four flowers, but others like yourself have corrected me and said it was the four gates. It was amazing to experience that day. Dr G

Hypnopuncture

Submitted by Karina Legumi on April 3, 2009 - 1:42pm.

HI I work in Bath UK, I recently had a client who asked me to combine hypnosis and Acupuncture I have not actually thought of it before, I have seen him 5 times He is very happy with the treatment and it stretched me to break the walls down between those parts of my brain. I thought i was working holistically as also do massage, Flower remedies etc. until this experience. I would be really grateful to hear about any research or case studies from others also practicing in this way.

Thanks Karina

HYPNOPUNCTURE

Submitted by Hypnotist seeker on July 29, 2009 - 3:21am.

This really amazing I think this technique going to be very effective as it uses the two most popular and effective techniques
of HYPNOSIS and ACCUPUNCTURE.
I am looking forward for some more interesting information on this technique:-
GREAT!!!

Concern about this technique...

Submitted by Suzanne on August 11, 2009 - 4:56pm.

I enjoyed your article quite a bit. Let me first say that I have received several acupuncture treatments in my lifetime and I am a firm believer in its ability to facilitate healing. I am also a full-time, seasoned hypnotherapist who works in a clinic dealing with addictions. Putting the argument of Aichmophobia aside due to obvious reasons, I must be honest in saying that I would be very concerned for my clients if they were to undergo hypnosis and acupuncture both in the same session. I have no doubt that combined techniques do help propel the "right" client into a more complete state of healing. However, the physical risks could be great.

I have had too many clients move around in the chair at will--scratching their nose, shifting positions, clasping or wringing their hands, etc., all while under deep trance and guided relaxation. Can you imagine what would happen if they chose to scratch or roll over that specific area where they had needles introduced?

There is a new hypnotherapist that recently set up "shop" in the community we serve. She tried to do this in her office but didn't last two months before she removed it from her "list of offerings". As a clinic, we are not strangers to experimenting with new techniques as long as the clients have zero downside. I have to admit that I was relatively alarmed at the technique and assumed she had done away with it because one of her clients sustained injury as a result of the combined techniques. After all, why not keep it if it truly helped her clients? An assumption on my part, of course, but...

Your comments would be greatly appreciated.

You raise a point of caution

Submitted by Steven Gurgevich, PhD on August 12, 2009 - 6:58am.

I think that with any type of procedure or techniques we need to maintain an awareness of saftey. You raise a good point about screening patients that are fearful of needles as well as those which move during a needled experience. I would not leave a patient alone or unsupervised when being needled while in trance. And I have found that a hypnotic suggestion to remain motionless is one way to minimize any movement.

I do not feel there is great risk in combining hypnosis with acupuncture so long as we take into account the mindset and hypnotic responses of the patient, along with a conscientious supervision of the session to assure that no harm may occur.

I can only guess at why the clinician in your area dropped the combinantion of hypnosis and acupuncture from her offerings. Perhaps she was not comfortable with these skills, or more likely she discovered that if you are doing hypnosis with acupuncture you cannot be treating two patients at the same time in different rooms as many acupunctist may do. But again, I can only quess as to her reasons.