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chronic pain
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Albuquerque, NM 87111
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People often labelled meditation an alternative therapy, but it can be surprisingly effective as a conservative therapy for the treatment of chronic pain. A 2007 National Institutes of Health survey found that over 20 million American practice some form of meditation. Many of my patients have found that meditation has not only given them some relief from pain, but also enhanced their quality of life.
What is it?
Meditation is a means by which people learn to train their mental focus. There are many different forms of meditation such as, transcendental meditation, mindfulness, Yoga-based meditation, contemplative walking. Transcendental meditation asks you to pick a word or phrase that you will use as a mantra. Mindfulness asks you to focus all of your attention on your thoughts and sensations so that you can fully experience each moment. Yoga-based meditation trains practitioners to focus their minds on their while they do certain exercises, or forms. Contemplative walking, common in Buddhism, asks you to actively observe and experience the action of walking.
Is it Effective?
Several studies have suggested that meditation can decrease anxiety, stress, and depression while increasing pain tolerance, activity levels and self esteem. Many programs have used mindfulness meditation to successfully reduce pain and improve mood in those suffering from chronic headache, low back pain, arthritis gastrointestinal pain, and chest pain.
How Does it Work?
A recent study that focused on the “why” of how meditation relieves pain found that meditation works because it allows practitioners to gain more control over how they filter sensory experiences. Pain can quickly command ones thoughts. Focusing on the pain perpetuates the experience of pain. Through meditation, individuals learn to control their attention so that pain and negative thoughts don’t dominate their everyday living.
Meditation can be an amazingly effective way of treating your pain. Here are a few simple exercises. Try them. Let's talk about whether meditation is right for you.