Top meditation techniques for pain management

Collaborative Post | ​You may consider meditation when chronic pain prolongs after trying conventional treatments. Even if you’re sceptical, you may find a type of meditation that helps you. The scientific studies on whether meditation reduces chronic pain have had mixed results. Several studies and methods make them hard to compare. However, some studies suggest that meditation can reduce or sometimes eradicate pain without causing unwanted side effects. Meditation helps relieve chronic pain by triggering the release of endorphins, your body’s natural painkillers.
 
Many people find practising meditation boosts their well-being. It helps them reduce anxiety, relieve stress, and improve self-awareness. Along with improving mental health, meditation also supports physical health. For example, if you have chronic pain and are looking for natural relief, meditation may help. Remember to visit getdiazepam to ease your pain by choosing from the multiple pain relief medications available.

Photo by Ian Stauffer on Unsplash

What is meditation?

Meditation is an ancient practice with roots in Buddhism and other Eastern religions. It starts with focusing on the present moment and not judging your thoughts.

Why meditation for pain relief?

Meditation allows you to accept your deepest emotions and let go. Meditation is also a powerful tool to help you gain a deeper awareness of your physical state. It also lets you identify which actions cause more pain so you can mindfully avoid them when possible.
Research on meditation and chronic pain has dramatically expanded in recent years. 
There are many meditation techniques and many tools to help you get started. A few examples are:

• Meditation apps podcasts
• Online meditation videos
• Classes
• Personal instructors
• Books

Some people use more than one meditation technique, and many guides to begin are free. However, unlike other pain relief methods, when you meditate, you focus on the pain instead of away from it to find relief. So you’re not working to block it, but lessen the pain by working with it.

Types of meditation to start with

Constant pain interferes with your everyday life in several ways. At times it feels like everything hurts, and you have no escape. It’s challenging to have a positive approach when in pain. Pain may undermine your self-confidence and make it difficult to focus. Fortunately, there are non-pharmaceutical methods that may help. And if your chronic pain is the result of an injury or medical negligence, it may also be worth exploring your legal options — you can learn more about your rights to CRPS compensation through experienced solicitors who specialise in chronic pain claims.

When you decide to try meditation, you’ll find many types. First, look for a technique you feel comfortable doing.  ​

Mindful meditation

​Mindfulness meditation is a mind-body intervention combining focused attention on the breath with a reduction in the awareness of external sensations and consequent thoughts. Many studies have shown this as a moderately practical approach for pain relief. In addition, brain imaging studies have also shown that similar brain areas are activated during mindfulness meditation and pain-modulation techniques mediated by opioid receptors. 
 
Mindfulness meditation shows you that it is possible to remain aware of what you are experiencing in the present moment without accepting or rejecting it. It helps you understand that everything changes and that there are emotional and physical well-being periods even amid chronic pain. Finally, as you begin exploring and working with your current situation, you discover that part of your problem with pain is that – quite naturally – you want to escape it. This reluctance to accept your experience causes even more suffering. But you don’t have to reject your reality. Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.

Mindful meditation may help you manage stress, pain, and anxiety. It usually starts with watching the breathing but may also be applied to regular activities and habits (like eating, brushing one’s teeth and showering). The practice of mindfulness refreshes the mind, alleviates negative thoughts and promotes the ability to focus.

Walking meditation

This can be a practical meditation for pain relief. When walking, focus on the movement of your feet and legs or on the direction of your feet, stepping one in front of the other. Be aware of the body as it moves through space. You may also concentrate on other body movements, such as your arms swinging as you walk. Notice the different sensations moving through the body. Many hidden feelings and emotions can come to light through the simple act of walking meditation.

Visualisation meditation

​Visualisation meditation or guided imagery combines visualising something positive while you meditate. The purpose is to focus your thoughts, calm you down, and reduce stress and pain.

Breathwork meditation

Mindful breathing focuses on the breath and changing breathing patterns to promote relaxation. Like body scanning, you may also pair breathwork meditation with mindfulness meditation.

Breathwork meditation involves a type of breathing exercise to alter your breathing pattern and relax your mind. It’s sometimes combined with mindfulness meditation to help you focus.

In body scanning meditation, we mentally focus on our body from top to bottom. The purpose is to note everything about our body, relaxing each part of our body as we scan.
Jon Kabat-Zinn, a meditation teacher, scientist, and founder of MBSR (mindfulness-based stress reduction), suggests doing the following body scanning mindfulness exercise daily for 45 minutes.  

• Lie down. Find a comfortable position and lie down.
• Close your eyes. Close your eyes and bring all your attention to your breath.
• Breathe in and out. As you inhale and exhale, observe the belly rising and falling.
• Bring your attention to your left foot. Notice how you feel and whether you have any pain in the area. Relax your body and sink into the floor as you breathe.
• Keep your attention on your foot. Try to bring your attention to your foot as thoughts come and go.
• Take note of your pain and what you’re thinking and feeling now. Continue to breathe. If you experience any discomfort, notice it and help your body to relax. This isn’t about easing the pain but instead observing it without judgment.
• Shift your attention. Slowly remove your focus from the left foot and instead bring your attention to your left ankle.
• Keep scanning your body. Continue up the body, and repeat the body scanning technique above.

Conclusion

Meditation helps some people with pain. Research indicates that meditation uses neural pathways making the brain less sensitive to pain and increasing the use of the brain’s pain-reducing opioids. If you have chronic pain, go for some meditation techniques. Many meditation guides are free, so it’s easy to try.


Disclaimer: this is a collaborative blog post.