Stuart has broken every bone in his body and now he wants to help others cope with pain

Every day he faces the risk of injury and what would be a slight knock for anyone else, could lead to major health implications for him.

But rather than feel sorry for himself, Stuart remains a very positive and upbeat person with a glass half full approach to life.

He certainly does not want anyone to feel sorry for him.

And it is this attitude, and the experiences and challenges he has faced, which have led him to become a hypnotherapist helping people overcome a range of issues, including pain management.

He explains he is so confident it can work in dealing with long-term pain management because he uses it himself.

Stuart, now 40, was born with Brittle Bone Disease, osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), which causes bones to fracture very easily, sometimes without any apparent cause.

As well as frequent fractured bones, people with the rare condition often have muscle weakness, hearing loss, fatigue, joint laxity, curved bones, scoliosis (curved spine), blue sclerae, brittle teeth, and short stature among other medical problems.

Stuart, who grew up in County Durham, explains: “My parents and the doctors knew something was wrong straight away because I was born with many broken bones.

“They got a huge amount of support from the Brittle Bones Society from that point onwards.

“It is caused by a mutation in a gene. My brother also has it but my sisters do not and there is no indication it will carry on through the generations,” says Stuart who has two little girls Scarlett-Rose, nine, and Felicity, five, with wife Laura.

“I had a normal childhood and went to mainstream school both primary and secondary.

“Even though that was quite unusual for someone with brittle bones I don’t think it was ever a consideration I wouldn’t and there was always an expectation I would go on to university.

“I have always been in a wheelchair but apart from that I lived a full life, doing everything my friends were doing.

“It was a good experience and I was never embarrassed or afraid. I was always very confident talking about it with people and seeing the humour in things, I have always been like that.”

But anything, even the slightest knock, could cause a broken bone.

“As a child anything could break a bone. Being picked up in the wrong way, being cuddled or going over a bump in a car.”

In fact it was an extremely minor car accident in which another car barely came into contact, albeit, unexpectedly with Stuart’s that was to be his wake-up call.

“I went to university at Leeds, to study social work which I had always wanted to do, and got involved in all the things students do.

“Living independently, going to festivals and nightclubs and generally having a good time.

“But I had a tiny bump while I was driving, another car bumped into me, barely touched the car really, but it was enough to fracture my neck.

“It was extremely painful and I tried to soldier on like I had before but it was at this point, for the first time really, that I realised it might be a problem and I had to re-evaluate everything,” admits Stuart.

As a result Stuart, who is just over three and a half feet tall, had to take six months out of his studies in order to recover but returned to university to complete his degree.

It was while at a placement in a hospice, as part of his studies, he first came across the idea of using hypnotherapy for pain management.

“It was a chance conversation really in the corridor one day about hypnotherapy which resonated with me.

“I had never even heard of hypnotherapy at that point other than perhaps a passing mention but I wanted to find out more about using my mind to control pain,” he says.

As soon as he graduated Stuart signed up to study hypnotherapy and soon set up his own, very successful, practice both as hypnotherapist but also as a life coach, in Leeds.

Having met Laura while working on a placement as part of his degree in Tiptree, he re-located to the area and currently lives on Mersea Island.

He believes no-one should feel anything they don’t want to feel and by using the techniques it is possible to access the part of the brain which sends the message you are in pain.

Stuart says living with the constant risk of a life threatening, or life-changing, injury along with “looking very different” from his peers, affected his confidence and self-belief.

But having discovered hypnosis and personal development his life changed.

“I realised that I was in full control of my life, that I could choose to be successful and I could choose whether to feel pain or fear”.

Stuart works with clients using hypnosis and self hypnosis to reduce their pain and reduce the anxiety that goes with it.

Having set up a practise at home he says more and more of his work is done on the internet, via Skype, thanks to recommendations from other people and includes a man in Australia seeking help to overcome tinnitus.

As well as pain management hypnotherapy can be used to help deal with a number of issues such as giving up smoking, losing weight, anxiety, stress and a host of phobias.

He is now offering free taster session to people living with constant pain, to show them how it can help them too.

“I see my disability as a good thing, an asset.

“Rather than being a hindrance, it has made me into the person I am and given me a great insight into communicating with people.

“It’s a conversation starter,” he adds.

•  Contact Stuart at stuart@stuarthypnotist.com