[Lotus]

Not to add to the scientific discussion, but anecdotally...

When I was 18, I was in a wreck which left me with very bad neck pain. This was right at the end of my senior year in high school, and our school brought in an entertainment hypnotist for an after-grad party. I agreed to be hypnotized because he told me he could relieve the pain for a short time.

Which he did, to my utter amazement. Short hypnosis, simple suggestion (which I have been told was something to the effect of): I'm going to touch your head and neck. I want you to see all the pain coming up to the surface of your skin. All the pain is evaporating away from the deep tissues... up into my hands. When I take my hands away, you will wake up with no pain.

And I woke up with no pain. My friends were cracking up because I apparently looked completely stupified. My mouth dropped open and my hand went up to my neck and I just sat there looking like an idiot. I've got it on tape, although you can't hear anything that anybody is saying.

And I got to walk around my after-party without a horrendous neck ache. It was phriggin awesome. The effects lasted about 5 hours.

I was recieving physical therapy (PT) at the time when I was hypnotized, but it was another 3 weeks before my neck actually felt normal.

CAVEAT: Pain is there for a reason, and in some cases (much like my own), it may be harmful to take the pain away. For example, I might have moved my neck suddenly and re-injured healing tissues. Some pain can be good.
There are cases where pain is excessive or unrelenting, and I frankly believe that trying hypnosis can't hurt.