Meditation can relieve pain, and it does so by activating multiple brain areas, according to an April study in the Journal of Neuroscience. Fadel Zeidan of Wake Forest University and his colleagues scanned people’s brains as they received uncomfortably hot touches to the leg. When subjects practiced a mindful meditation technique that encourages detachment from experience while focusing on breathing, they reported less pain than when they simply paid attention to their breathing. Likewise, different patterns of brain activity emerged under the two conditions, with mindful meditating resulting in more activity not only in executive centers that evaluate experiences and regulate emotions but also in lower regions that control the signals coming from the body. The volunteers learned the meditation technique in only four 20-minute sessions, which means this pill-free analgesia could be a feasible way to help real patients suffering from pain. “People can reap some of the benefits of meditation without extensive training,” Zeidan says.

This article was originally published with the title Mindful Medicine.

1 Comments

1. 1. JamesDavis 09:11 AM 9/5/11

   That is very true and the safest way to relieve pain, but it is very difficult to engage in meditation when you are in pain. Meditation takes a high level of brain power and control and is best preformed after the pain in relieved by a non-medication technique called acupuncture or acupressure on pressure points. Meditation can then be used to prevent pain from coming back by sweeping your body and mind with comforting thoughts and images.
   
   Migraine headaches can be safely eased by an herb called feverfew and the same herb can prevent them from coming back and there are no side effects, and then use meditation, with the herb, to prevent them from returning until the cause can be fixed by an herb called horsechestnut, which actually fixes varicose veins. You should also use Gotu Kola or Ginkgo Biloba to increase circulation. With good circulation in the brain, you can eliminate a lot of pain throughout the body. These herbs are food-stuff, and with the proper foods, you can prevent a lot of pain and illnesses.
   
   

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