Neurological diseases encompass many conditions characterized by chronic pain including migraine headache, neck and back pain, fibromyalgia, arthritis and postconcussion syndrome. Meditation is a valuable tool for pain management, especially for those not responding well to medication. However, this alternative therapy offers relief of pain better in some conditions than others.
Mind-Body Therapy
More than 40 percent of individuals suffering from neurological diseases use some sort of alternative treatment such as mind-body therapy, according to a study in the January 2011 issue of “Neuroepidemiology.” Researchers compared the use of mind-body therapies between over 23,000 adults with or without the most common neurological conditions of migraines, back pain, memory loss and dementia. The study found that deep-breathing, meditation and yoga were the most frequently used mind-body therapies. The authors concluded that those with neurological disease used these complementary therapies due to the ineffectiveness of conventional treatments.
Chronic Pain
A study published in the January 2010 issue of the “Journal of Psychosomatic Research” Investigated the effects of meditation on chronic pain in patients suffering from chronic headache/migraine, arthritis, and back/neck pain. Researchers reviewed patient medical records from the Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia from 1997 through 2003. The study revealed that patients with arthritis of back/neck pain demonstrated the best outcomes with meditation; whereas patients suffering from chronic headache/migraine benefited the least. The authors concluded that successful meditation therapy varies due to the type of pain and compliance with a home-based meditation regime.
Transcendental Meditation
An article appearing in the September 2009 issue of “Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology” evaluated the effects of transcendental meditation, a specific type of mediation popularized in India in the 1950s, on pain relief in patients with fibromyalgia. Researchers recruited 31 women for the study and offered them advice on diet and herbal food products and instructed them on transcendental meditation techniques. Of those finishing the six-month trial, 90 percent reported a reduction in pain, stiffness, anxiety and depression. The authors concluded that transcendental meditation and diet modification offered significant improvements in pain management in fibromyalgia patients.
Postconcussion Syndrome
Postconcussion syndrome, or PCS, is a term to describe cognitive and emotional symptoms in patients suffering from mild brain injuries. An article in the October 2010 issue of the “Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry” investigated the effects of meditation and other behavioral therapies on PCS through a review of current medical literature. The authors searched medical databases and identified 42 studies on cognitive behavioral therapies for PCs symptoms. The authors concluded that only limited evidence existed that mediation benefits those with persisting symptoms of PCS.
References
- “Journal of Neurology, Nuerosurgery and Psychiatry”; Psychological Approaches to Treatment of Postconcussion Syndrome: A Systematic Review; A. Al Sayegh, et al.; October 2010
- “Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology”; Treatment of Fibromyalgia at the Maharishi Ayurveda Health Centre in Norway. A Six-Month Follow-Up Study; L. Rasmussen, et al.; September 2009
- “Journal of Psychosomatic Research”; Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Chronic Pain Conditions: Variation in Treatment Outcomes and Role of Home Meditation Practice; S. Rosenzweig, et al.; January 2010
- “Neuroepidemiology”; Patterns of Mind-Body Therapies in Adults with Common Neurological Conditions; R. Erwin-Wells, et al.; January 2011
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