Lifestyle
Hypnosis may hold the key to fighting pain
Lifestyle – Judy Murphy meets a pioneering hypnotherapist making important progress in alleviating migraine
Pain is something we all suffer from at one time or another and, for most of us, a few painkillers will sort the problem in jig time. But for people who suffer from debilitating conditions such as migraine, life is much tougher, especially for those with chronic migraine, which can entail 15 or more ‘headache days’ a month.
A new, natural, hypnotherapy treatment for treating migraine, developed by sports psychologist and hypnotherapist, Niamh Flynn, offers the prospect of reducing disability by almost 50 per cent in just 10 weeks, according to research she carried out under the auspices of NUI Galway for a PhD thesis.
Niamh’s audio-hypnotherapy based programme is unique in that it can be downloaded from the internet or bought in CD format, and used by migraine sufferers at a time that suits them.
It’s the first time a hypnosis programme for migraine sufferers has been specifically written and tested on an online platform, she says.
While her hypnosis programme is geared specifically at people with migraines, hypnotherapy can also be used to manage other types of chronic pain, explains Niamh, who operates out of the Galway Clinic.
As somebody affected by migraine and with a background in psychology and sports medicine, the Ahascragh woman had long felt there had to be a way of helping people to deal with the condition that didn’t just involve medication.
Between 5-10% of men and about 18% of women suffer from migraine, she says. Not everyone with the condition will have the characteristic blurred vision, increased sensitivity to sound and unusual somatic sensations before an attack; but those who do often describe the experience as disorienting and disabling.
A migraine can last anywhere from between four hours to 72 hours. Medications used to treat it or to prevent it include beta-blockers, triptans and anti-epileptic medications.
Having successfully treated her own condition with a mixture of osteopathy and hypnotherapy, Niamh decided to further explore hypnotherapy for her PhD thesis at NUI Galway, with the emphasis on CDs and MP3s – these empower people to manage their own condition at a time that suits them.
Needless to say, Niamh is thrilled with the outcome of her study, which showed that after just 10 weeks, participants noticed a positive change in the way they thought about about their condition as well as a drop of 48% in actual disability from the migraine.
As is normal with clinical trials, there were two groups involved. Half the particpants received MP3s with specially devised hypnosis sessions, while the other half – the control group – did not.
Those using the audio hypnosis noticed a 48 per cent decrease in disability while there was a 60 per cent drop in ‘pain catrastrophising’. That may sound like a technical term, but according to Niamh, it simply means a decline in negative thoughts connected with the pain.
“This means that an effective medication-free programme is now available for migraine sufferers everywhere,” she says. “They can listen to the CDs or MP3s in their own homes at at time that suits them.”
Hypnotherapy has already been proven successful for treating a wide variety of pain-related conditions, she explains, and she has just developed it in another direction.
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.
1923 – Housing shortage
It should scarcely have been thought necessary for the Government to have set up a Departmental Committee to investigate the Increase of Rents (Restrictions) Act for the obvious decision that the committee could have come to was to recommend a continuance of control and this they have done, extending the period of control to 1926.
The conditions that existed during the European war in regard to housing have not only changed but rather have been intensified. The argument in support of control is that the large house shortage has increased rather than diminished.
This was apparent to the average man in the street who oftentimes knows a good deal more about the conditions in the country than the paid politician who affects to know everything.
Here in Galway the housing problem is more acute than in perhaps any other city in Ireland outside Dublin. Whilst the Government, with the limited financial resources at its command, is making a genuine effort to provide the working classes with houses, it does not seem to have entered into the minds of our administrators that a great deal more could be done if a scheme were devised whereby money would be advanced to enterprising private persons of means to carry out the work of reconstruction of existing derelict buildings of which there are great numbers in every town in Ireland.
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.
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Taking a walk to combat loneliness back in 2007 lit a spark for Keara Sheeran that led to her founding the IGNITE Gospel Choir, which has evolved from a five-strong group 15 years ago to 60 members today, performing in different churches and for special events in Galway. Some of the biggest names in gospel music have come here to work with IGNITE and the choir has been invited to sing in cities across Europe. Keara tells STEPHEN CORRIGAN about her passion for song and why gospel music is for everyone.
Feeling lonely, Keara Sheeran set off on a walk around Renmore one evening in 2007 that would change the course of her life.
The Castlepark-born choir director had just returned to Galway City, having been living in the countryside from the age of 15.
Seeing a light on in the surrounding darkness set Keara on the path to founding the IGNITE Gospel Choir.
“I took a walk one evening from my bedsit . . . I was just feeling desperately lonely and the lights were on in Renmore Church. I was being nosey so I went in to see what was going on. It was the tail end of Mass and the priest was Fr Murchadh Ó Madagáin – a young lad, around the same age as myself,” she laughs.
The pair got talking and she explained her background, having run a youth choir in Tuam Cathedral just a few years previously.
“The first thing he said to me was ‘you’re an answer to prayer’ because they were looking for someone to provide music at masses.
“I felt this would put me back in a place where I would meet people, plus I would be using my skill for the community,” recalls Keara.
Music and community had always been part of Keara’s life, her dad Peter having led the folk choir masses in the Jesuit Church on the city’s Sea Road throughout her childhood.
After spending five months in Renmore, Keara found herself returning to the place where it all began – the Jes – only to find that the music was gone.
She immediately offered her services, beginning to do as her father had done before her, and it was a chance meeting after mass one evening that planted the seed for IGNITE.
“A young woman came up to me and she said ‘if you’re looking to start something . . .’ She was interested in joining, even though I had no intention of starting anything.”
Keara was thinking about emigrating at the time and knew if she committed to a choir, she’d be going nowhere.
“After some time, I decided to start a choir and left behind my plans to leave. We started as five, and one of those was my sister,” laughs Keara.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Health, Beauty and Lifestyle with Denise McNamara
A native of Ballinasloe has expanded his baby clothing business and created a range of unique tableware and cutlery – all made from bamboo. Entrepreneur Enda Barton, who set up BambooBaby during the lockdown when he lost his job, has recently taken the huge leap of leaving his job in a computer company to work full-time in the business.
While there are some companies that sell baby tableware made from bamboo, this is the first Irish company to produce tableware themselves.
“I started BambooBaby with clothing, and the idea of having a tableware range made from 100% bamboo came to me when I was thinking about what our customers would want,” explains Enda.
“This makes it particular attractive for those who are gifting because now they can order a bundle of clothes, and add a beautiful sustainable feeding set to go in with the clothes which makes a really unique gift.”
Each item has smooth edges that are gentle on little gums and easy for babies to hold, facilitating their seamless transition from liquids to solids. The plates are divided into sections to encouraging them to eat varied foods and develop healthy eating habits from an early age.
An FDA approved silicone suction base is attached to secure the tableware in place, minimising spills and messes. Though silicone is a synthetic material, it outshines its plastic counterparts in terms of durability, temperature tolerance, and environmental impact. Unlike plastic, silicone does not degrade into harmful microplastics, which means it’s better for the environment.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
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