Yoga and meditation reduce chronic pain
Participants in an eight-week mindfulness-based stress reduction course reported significant improvement in levels of pain, depression and disability


Date:
October 1, 2020
Source:
American Osteopathic Association
Summary:
A mindfulness-based stress reduction course was found to benefit
patients with chronic pain and depression, leading to significant
improvement in participant perceptions of pain, mood and functional
capacity, according to a new study. Most of the study respondents
(89%) reported the program helped them find ways to better cope
with their pain while 11% remained neutral.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
A mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) course was found to benefit patients with chronic pain and depression, leading to significant
improvement in participant perceptions of pain, mood and functional
capacity, according to a study in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association. Most of the study respondents (89%) reported the program
helped them find ways to better cope with their pain while 11% remained neutral.


========================================================================== Chronic pain is a common and serious medical condition affecting an
estimated 100 million people in the United States, which correlates
with annual costs of approximately $635 billion. The small-scale study
was conducted in a semi-rural population in Oregon where issues of affordability, addiction and access to care are common. Participants
received intensive instruction in mindfulness meditation and mindful
hatha yoga during an eight-week period.

"Many people have lost hope because, in most cases, chronic pain will
never fully resolve," says Cynthia Marske, DO, an osteopathic physician
and director of graduate medical education at the Community Health
Clinics of Benton and Linn County. "However, mindful yoga and meditation
can help improve the structure and function of the body, which supports
the process of healing." Healing and curing are inherently different,
explains Dr. Marske.

"Curing means eliminating disease, while healing refers to becoming more whole," Dr. Marske says. "With chronic pain, healing involves learning
to live with a level of pain this is manageable. For this, yoga and
meditation can be very beneficial." The study found mindful meditation
and yoga led to significant improvements in patients' perceptions of
pain, depression and disability. Following the course, Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) scores, a standard measure of depression, dropped
by 3.7 points on a 27-point scale. According to Dr. Marske, some patients experience a similar drop from the use of an antidepressant.

"Chronic pain often goes hand-in-hand with depression," says Dr. Marske.

"Mindfulness-based meditation and yoga can help restore both a patient's
mental and physical health and can be effective alone or in combination
with other treatments such as therapy and medication." Study participants received instruction in MBSR, a systematic educational program based on training people to have an awareness of the self in the present moment
and a nonjudgmental manner. The findings bolster other evidence that MBSR
can be a useful adjunctive treatment for chronic pain while improving
perceived depression.

"The bottom line is that patients are seeking new ways to cope with
chronic pain and effective non-pharmaceutical treatments are available,"
says Dr.

Marske. "Our findings show meditation and yoga can be a viable option
for people seeking relief from chronic pain."

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by
American_Osteopathic_Association. Note: Content may be edited for style
and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Cynthia Marske, Samantha Shah, Aaron Chavira, Caleb Hedberg, Raelin
Fullmer, Christopher James Clark, Olivia Pipitone, Paulina Kaiser.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in the Management of Chronic Pain
and Its Comorbid Depression. The Journal of the American Osteopathic
Association, 2020; 120 (9): 575 DOI: 10.7556/jaoa.2020.096 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201001133227.htm

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