Combat back pain with meditation

Imagine having the power to reduce your own pain levels! A study written about in Scientific American shows Buddhist Monks well practiced in meditation are actually able to control the intensity of pain they feel. This ability to control your own mind’s responses is in your hands (and you don’t need to travel to the wilderness or don robes to do it). There is a growing body of evidence that points to meditative techniques as a drug free method that effectively combats back pain. Incidentally it can also reduce the stress that comes with managing chronic pain.

The mind and the body are inextricably linked. The central nervous system is a tangle of nerves in our body that send messages to the brain. Like it is reading a story book, our neural pathways add a layer of interpretation on the stimulus before presenting it to our conscious awareness. Pain can be read directly from the body, but with chronic conditions like back pain, it is also produced in a separate area of the brain as scientists have recently proven.

Because back pain often triggers an increase of cortisol, a stress hormone produced in the adrenal glands, that fight or flight feeling is produced chronically detrimentally affecting overall well being.  Through meditation, people can be taught to consciously produce the body’s natural relaxation response, characterized by slower breathing, lower blood pressure, and a feeling of calm and well-being.

There is really nothing to lose by giving meditation or mindfulness a go because it very rarely has negative side effects. It always starts by settling yourself comfortably, seated or laying down, then actively concentrating on the intake and exhale of breath. This simple activity serves to bring conscious awareness into the moment. It sounds easy but it takes time to master. Meditation requires effort to actively ignore the mind-voice reminding you about the dishes or whatever it is you think about. It is about letting go and doing nothing but existing in the present, accepting what is, allowing your inner self to relax instead of getting caught up in worry-based thought patterns. It helps to shift the locus of control from the outside (“this is happening to me and there is nothing I can do about it”) to the inside (“this is happening to me but I can choose how I relate to it”).

Meditation techniques are available to everyone. Some people will choose either Buddhist or yogic traditions, others will look to the flowing movements of Tai chi and Qi gong. What they have in common is a holistic system of working with the body and mind that incorporates health, spirituality and in some cases stretches and relaxing movements – exercises should run by your GP or physiotherapist for approval first.

Modern western medicine has adapted the underlying principles into Mindfulness which has removed the spiritual elements of the practices to align it culturally to modern Australia. No meditative tradition is better than another. It is about finding a technique that resonates personally so you will make at least fifteen minutes available to practice on a daily basis. Accessing mindfulness meditation can be easy as speaking to a GP who may know local practitioners. Or, get online and try some free guided meditations to see if is the therapy aligned with you.

Reference:

Neuroscientists and the Dalai Lama Swap Insights on Meditation