Close X
Wednesday, November 27, 2024
ADVT 
Health

Can Mindfulness Meditation Provide Drug-free Pain Relief?

Darpan News Desk IANS, 16 Mar, 2016 01:38 PM
  • Can Mindfulness Meditation Provide Drug-free Pain Relief?
Mindfulness meditation may provide an alternative to usual drug-based pain relieving pills, especially to those suffering from chronic pain, suggests new research.
 
Mindfulness meditation, an essential element of Buddhist practice, involves sitting comfortably, focusing on your breathing, and bringing your attention to the present moment.
 
It is especially useful for those who have built up a tolerance to opiate-based drugs and are looking for a non-addictive way to reduce their pain, the researchers said.
 
Mindfulness meditation does not employ the endogenous addictive opioid system to reduce pain, rather it uses the body's naturally made opioids as an alternative therapy.
 
"Our finding was surprising and could be important for the millions of chronic pain sufferers who are seeking a fast-acting, non-opiate-based therapy to alleviate their pain," said Fadel Zeidan, assistant professor at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in the US.
 
The study was published in the Journal of Neuroscience.
 
The results of the study involving 78 volunteers showed that even when the body's opioid receptors were chemically blocked, meditation still was able to considerably reduce pain.
 
Pain ratings also were reduced by 21 percent in the meditation group that those who received the placebo-saline injection.

MORE Health ARTICLES

Sewer Backup At Winnipeg Building Puts Cancer Scanner Out Of Commission

Sewer Backup At Winnipeg Building Puts Cancer Scanner Out Of Commission
 Patients who have appointments to get special scans in Winnipeg on Friday and next week will have to be rebooked due a sewer backup.

Sewer Backup At Winnipeg Building Puts Cancer Scanner Out Of Commission

Nearly 200 Cases Of Zika In US; Officials Press For Funds

Nearly 200 Cases Of Zika In US; Officials Press For Funds
NEW YORK — Nearly 200 cases of Zika infection have been reported in the U.S. — all traced to travel abroad.

Nearly 200 Cases Of Zika In US; Officials Press For Funds

Take The Stairs To Slow Brain Ageing

Take The Stairs To Slow Brain Ageing
Climbing the stairs can not only help you stay physically fit but also improve brain health, suggests new research.

Take The Stairs To Slow Brain Ageing

Red Meat Intake May Advance Onset Of Girls' Periods

Red Meat Intake May Advance Onset Of Girls' Periods
Girls who eat red meat often start their periods on average five months earlier than those who do not, the findings showed.

Red Meat Intake May Advance Onset Of Girls' Periods

Pistachios Also Sold In Canada Blamed For At Least 11 Illnesses In US

At least 11 people in nine U.S. states have been infected in a salmonella outbreak linked to pistachios and two of them have been hospitalized.

Pistachios Also Sold In Canada Blamed For At Least 11 Illnesses In US

Tampon Tax: Does Being Female In The US Carry Unfair Costs?

Tampon Tax: Does Being Female In The US Carry Unfair Costs?
Margo Seibert and Natalie Brasington don't think women should have to pay a "period tax," and like a growing number of other women, they are publicly questioning whether being female in the U.S. carries unfair costs.

Tampon Tax: Does Being Female In The US Carry Unfair Costs?