Hi George-
Yes, pain relief through hypnosis is both possible and in many cases, quite practical. Although I personall;y would never dare to try it, people have undergone addominal and cardiac surgery using hypnosis alone.

The easy part of pain control is to alter the secondary interpretations by which we represent pain to ourse;ves. Then we also can transfer it to a place in which it is easier to tolerate the pain, a simple trick. It is possible to anesthetize a limb, and a number of medical hypnotherapists delight in giving demos of this, where they shove a needle through a hand etc. The effects are rather like those seen in religious devotees who get worked up into a trance and stick sharp things through their bodies without either bleeding or any indication of discomfort. Since hypnosis and hysteerical trance have a great deal in common (Freud's most significant observation in this regard) anything that freaked out religious zealots do is also available through hypnotic means.

dave

Fantastic, Cricket!
Labor pains are some of the most severe pains that a body experiences.
d

I didn't do any screaming (night shift nurses who came in part way through didn't believe there was anyone in the delivery room), but I did inform the doctor that if he gave me any grief I'd kick his jaw in.  We had a short power struggle over who was running that delivery, but I won.  Since the nurses weren't real fond of the guy (nice enough guy, good doctor, but something of a control freak) I got a few high fives afterward...

My kid has occasionally explained that when she was driving me buggy it was my karma from that.