If you think meditation is just for hippies, think again. There is solid medical evidence that regular meditation can help manage pain, as well as boost the spirits of arthritis patients who are coping with lifestyle changes, stress, or depression after their diagnosis.
Among the most notable programs for pain management is the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program, developed in the 1970’s by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts. Kabat-Zinn’s book, The Full Catastrophe, documents cases of patients who were debilitated by chronic pain until they began an eight-week MSBR class. Mindfulness, for Zinn, is described as a “systematic cultivation of awareness.” Meditation has also gained the attention of the medical community.
In an article in Rheumatic Disease Clinics of North America, University of North Carolina researcher Laura Young recommended that rheumatologists investigate meditation, along with traditional medical approaches, for their patients. Young cites several research studies that suggest patients learn to manage their own pain better with regular meditation practice. University of Pittsburgh researchers reported in the Journal of Pain that sufferers of chronic back pain reported increased attention, better sleeping, and less pain after an eight-week meditation program.
Meditation takes more than just sitting cross-legged on a cushion listening to soothing music. Beginners can quickly grow frustrated with their wandering minds. To begin, try a guided meditation CD, find a trained meditation teacher, or join a class. In our busy culture, it’s hard to adjust to “do nothing, just sit there.” But you may be doing a lot to manage your arthritis pain!
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