Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment & Mindfulness-Based Meditation are types of Mindbody Treatments for Chronic Pain
Mindbody Treatments for Chronic Pain are becoming more popular in helping people with chronic pain as there is increasing evidence that both Cognitive Behavioral Treatment and Mindfulness-Based Meditation can help to reduce low back pain.
The connection between physical pain and mental health has been established medically for a long time.
A 2013 study found that 30-60% of people with chronic pain also had symptoms of depression and that people with depression experience greater pain, more disability in their daily lives and do not benefit fully from physical treatment plans.
A research study conducted in the Netherlands published results showing that patients who received a 2-week program rooted in Cognitive Behavioural principles experienced less pain during activities, improved faster in treatment programs, had a decrease in medication use by 44% and experienced an increased quality of life. These statistically-significant findings remained, even when participants were followed up 2 years later.
When people live with chronic pain due to Lumbar Spinal Stenosis, Arthritis, low back pain and other chronic health conditions, they may come to feel powerless.
With chronic pain, we may not be able to exercise as we once did, we may be fearful of hurting ourselves if we start to exercise and our quality of life may suffer.
Anxiety, frustration, anger and depressed moods can become one’s daily and unwanted companions. Normal stresses of daily living can start to overwhelm us. A person can begin to isolate themselves from friends, family and activities they used to enjoy.
Coping Strategies for Chronic Pain:
- Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment
Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment helps a patient to see how their maladaptive beliefs and behaviors play an important role in maintaining pain levels and exacerbating mood and anxiety problems.
Dr. Horowitz uses Cognitive Behavioral Treatment to help patients with the goals of changing their perceptions of pain while encouraging follow-through with supervised, recommended exercises /activities. People may have been avoiding activities because they may have developed maladaptive beliefs that the activity will cause damage and therefore worsen their pain and disability.
Dr. Leslie Horowitz incorporates Cognitive Behavioral Treatment into her care of patients with lower back pain when applicable and requested.
- Mindfulness-Based Meditation for Low Back Pain:
What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is the awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, to what is happening in the present moment, non-judgmentally.
It involves becoming aware of and staying with any sensations, thoughts or emotions, without judging them as good or bad, desirable or undesirable.
Pillars of mindfulness practice include non-judging, patience, beginners mind, trust, non-striving, acceptance and letting go. Health practitioners have observed firsthand the beneficial effects in patients who learn and practice Mindfulness Based Meditation on a daily basis.
One might question the value of focusing one’s attention on an area of pain when they would rather not think about a painful body part or a part they do not feel good about. While this is entirely understandable, the meditative view is that it is only through the acceptance of what is, in the present moment, no matter how painful or frightening, can change and healing come about.
Substantial research has mounted demonstrating how Mindfulness Based Meditation can lead to the reduction of physical pain. Significant research results include reduced levels of pain, less pain medication (with the guidance of their MD), return to work after years of disability and improved quality of life.
Dr. Horowitz completed the Facilitator Training Course for Mindfulness Meditation with Dr. Jackie Gardner-Nix, Medical Director of NeuroNova Centre for Mindfulness-Based Chronic Pain Management and Associate Professor at the University of Toronto in January 2015.
She offers group sessions in-office and is available to facilitate Corporate lunch and learn sessions for employees in the workplace.
Call My Toronto Chiropractor Health Clinic at (647) 349-4909 to learn more about how Mindfulness-Based Meditation can help your pain or complete the form below: