Meditation for Chronic Pain
Meditiation can be helpful for chronic pain and emotional regulation.
The government sponsored NCCIH (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health) has compiled information related to meditation on their website. Studies have shown that meditation can be as effective as medication for some people suffering from chronic pain. Other studies have shown that it can make lasting changes in the brain that help reduce pain and our sensitivity to intense emotional stimuli.
Meditation for Pain
One 2013 study showed that mindfulness based interventions (MBIs) helped decrease the intensity of chronic pain.
Another 2016 study showed that the way meditation reduces pain is not dependent on the body’s endogenous opioid system which is how opioid narcotic drugs help relieve pain.
Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23240921
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26985045
Meditation for Emotional Regulation
Meditation and mindfulness based therapies can also help improve mood and emotional regulation.
A 2018 study showed that meditation affects the amygdala, which is the area of the brain that regulates and processes emotions.
An earlier 2016 study showed that meditation can help emotional regulation by increasing the connectivity between the amygdala and the dorsal-prefrontal cortex
Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29990584
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27033686
Meditation Changes the Brain
A 2016 study showed that an 8 week mindfulness based stress reduction program can make observable changes in the brain. Specifically, changes were seen in the prefrontal cortex, cingulate cortex, insula, hippocampus, and amygdala. These changes affect the way our brain perceives and reacts to stimuli and events, and can help reduce pain, anxiety, and insomnia.
Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27429096
Getting Started with Meditation
The hardest part of meditation is getting started and letting go to be in the present moment. There is no need to download an app or create a complicated routine that could potentially increase your stress levels and prevent you from getting started. Meditation can be as simple as setting a timer for 5 minutes and counting our breaths to 10 and then repeating until the timer is up.
Another idea to to set a timer for 5 minutes and inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds, and exhale for 8 seconds. This is known as the 4-7-8 technique and is an effective way to help calm the nervous system. Deep breathing has been shown to activate the vagus nerve and parasympathetic nervous system which is associated with a more relaxed state of being.
I have written several blog posts about the nervous system including Deep Breathing & The Vagus Nerve, Acupuncture and The Nervous System, and Acupuncture and the Vagus Nerve.
More Information
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