If you were told you could dramatically decrease your pain without pills, injections or surgeries, you would probably jump on the opportunity. Suffering from pain can make you miss out on many important activities in life. Pharmaceutical pain killers only mask the problem. Mastering specific mental exercises, though, may reduce pain to levels you never imagined possible.
Focused Attention Meditation
One of the most effective forms of meditation for controlling pain is known as focused attention meditation. According to a 2011 study published in "The Journal of Neuroscience," redirecting mental focus from the pain you are suffering to focus on breathing may reduce pain intensity by 40 percent and pain unpleasantness by 57 percent. Although this method requires time to train the brain to remain focused, it is typically able to be mastered without the help of a professional. If you struggle to conquer the goal, though, consult a professional to help you with the training process.
Tai Chi
Tai Chi is a form of martial arts that is popular among the elderly. It involves slow, rhythmic movements that focus on relaxing the mind while improving strength, balance and flexibility. In 2009, "Science Daily" published an article on the benefits of Tai Chi for knee osteoarthritis pain in the elderly. Patients 65 years of age and older performed Tai Chi exercises for 60 minutes a day, two days a week for 12 weeks. At the end of the period, participants in the Tai Chi exercises found significant decreases in knee osteoarthritis pain, while the control group did not.
Imagery
Various forms of imagery have been used to help patients decrease pain. Of those, mental anesthesia, mental analgesia, age progression/regression, symbolic imagery, positive imagery, and pain movement are some of the most popular. Mental anesthesia requires the patient to imagine an anesthetic being injected into the painful area, while mental analgesia uses the same technique to imagine a pain reliever being injected into the area. With age progression/regression you imagine a time in your life either in your past or in your future when you were or will be pain free, and you place yourself mentally in that time period. Symbolic imagery uses outside symbols, such as a loud noise or bright light bulb, and associates them with the pain. As you imagine the noise getting quieter or the light growing dimmer, you also imagine the pain decreasing. Positive imagery puts you mentally in a place that makes you happy and without pain, such as the beach or mountains. Finally, pain movement requires you to mentally move your pain from the affected area to a location in your body that can better withstand the pain.
Autogenic Training
Autogenic training is a pain relief method that began in the early twentieth century by a German psychiatrist named Dr. Johannes Schultz. In this form of relief, patients repeat phrases at predetermined intervals in an attempt to fight negative stress that leads to worsened pain. Dr. Shultz's goal was to help the mind move away from the "fight or flight" response and heal the body through positive reinforcement.
References
- "The Journal of Neuroscience"; Brain Mechanisms Supporting the Modulation of Pain by Mindfulness Meditation; Fadel Zeidan, et al.; April 2011
- Spine Health: 11 Chronic Pain Control Techniques
- Science Daily: Tai Chi Exercise Reduces Knee Osteoarthritis Pain in the Elderly, Research Shows
- National Pain Foundation: Wellness - Mental Exercises
