The last thing you want to tell someone suffering from low back pain is that the pain is all in their head. But, according to new research reported by Health Day News, your mind might be a more effective remedy for the pain than painkillers.
READ: How, Why & When To Meditate
The benefits of meditation of have been praised by the likes of Oprah and Russell Simmons and a new study looking at a mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program found that people who participated in MBSR classes, which included group yoga and meditation, were more than 40 percent likely to have “meaningful” improvement in their pain than participants who treated their back pain with standard medical care.
Lead study researcher Daniel Cherkin, a senior investigator at Group Health Research Institute, in Seattle, doesn’t have an answer for why mindfulness may help ease back pain, but it may have something to do with minimizing stress.
With mindfulness practices like meditation and yoga, people are able to get into their bodies by recognizing sensations and how they feel physically and mentally, without “getting stressed out,” Cherkin explains.
READ: The Everyday Power Of Meditation
The pain doesn’t disappear, but as Andrea Minick Rudolph, a meditation expert and therapist based in Harrisburg, Pa, explained, “The ability to deal with thoughts around pain is the important step to reduce and manage pain.”
Back Pain & Stress
Back pain, whether temporary or long term, can affect a person’s quality of life in debilitating ways. Back pain can limit your ability to climb stairs, walk, lay in bed or sit for extended periods. Roughly 80 percent of adults experience low back pain at some point in their lives. It is the most common cause of job-related disability and a leading contributor to missed work days. Stress about the pain itself and how the pain affects other important areas of life is common.
According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, 90 percent of back pain cases can be treated without surgery.
Although MBSR programs can range from $400 to $500, simple meditation can be performed at home or anywhere for free. Try the deep breathing technique below consistently to help ease your low back pain:
READ: Easy Yoga Poses For Back Pain
1. Find a quiet location to sit free of distractions.
2. Sit with your feet flat on the floor, with your spine straight to allow a free flow of energy. Rest your hands in your lap.
3. Close your eyes and breathe in and out through your nose, following your breath’s natural rhythm, for 1 minute.
4. Begin to breathe deeper, increasing your inhales and exhales. As you breathe in, visualize your breathe going to your low back or any area you feel pain. As you exhale, visualize you are exhaling out the pain. Continue for another 3 to 5 minutes.
5. Return your breathing back to its normal pattern, noticing how it feels. Is your breathing relaxed? Is it flowing smoothly through your body?
6. When you’re ready, slowly open your eyes.
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