Meditation Aids in Pain Management
In a hospital setting, we're trained to understand that pain is where the patient says it is, when the patient says it is, and at the intensity the patient says it is.
While pain tolerance could be subjective, we can usually describe it as mild, medium, or severe.
"Persistent pain impacts 100 million adults and costs from $560 to $635 billion annually," according to the National Institutes of Health.
The great news is that there is a natural way to manage pain, and it can have a significant impact on pain relief, management, and modulation. It could change how a patient perceives pain, aid in better locating the pain, and provide a resource to cope with pain. Meditation can change the chemical, the electrical activity, and possibly the morphology in the brain.
Meditation can be done with the engagement of visuals, sounds, and other sensory techniques.
Pain in the body causes tension, and it's sent to the brain, causing emotional and mental anxiety. Mental and emotional stress can cause tension in the body. Meditation helps control both the body and the mind, and as you learn to relax, you become more aware of the pain and anxiety you were aware of (or weren't aware of) and how to treat them.
Stay tuned for the 5th benefit of meditation that I'll talk about tomorrow.
Sources:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304394012004806
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2515690X19876599
