'Pull teeth using hypnosis to block pain'

Hospitals should use hypnotists to speed up patient recovery and save fortunes, it was claimed today.

Hypnosis could help cut 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 programmes. 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."

Ms Waxkirsh believes hypnotherapy can be used in place of or in conjunction with anaesthesia for some patients. "It is possible to have it with all kinds of surgery to reduce the level of anaesthesia needed but people are often more open to using this technique for dental work," she said.

Ms Waxkirsh, who runs courses for dentists to use hypnotherapy, had one of her own wisdom teeth removed without anaesthetic.

She also regularly treats patients with stutters, eczema, psoriasis, sleep disorders and a range of neurological issues. She said: "The mind is extremely powerful and we do not use it enough at times we need it most. If we harnessed brain power and hypnotherapy, we could revolutionise health treatment in the UK."

"I can understand that it is a new way of looking at how we treat our bodies but the hard evidence is there in the number of people hypnosis has helped," she added.