New Study Finds Yoga & Meditation Help Relieve Symptoms Of Chronic Pain

The study, published in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, found that a mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) course effectively helped participants with chronic pain.

The course included detailed instruction in both mindfulness meditation and hatha yoga, over the course of an eight-week period. They also learned about increasing awareness of the self and the immediate moment.

This study was conducted in a rural area where access to affordable care is a common problem, making relatively simple and low-cost mindfulness interventions ideal pain management aids.

The troubles of chronic pain extend beyond the pain itself, so finding a method that aids in both decreasing pain perception but also in improving mental health is doubly promising.

"Many people have lost hope because, in most cases, chronic pain will never fully resolve," says Marske, "However, mindful yoga and meditation can help improve the structure and function of the body, which supports the process of healing."

However, she's quick to explain that "healing" and "curing" are inherently not the same thing: "Curing means eliminating disease, while healing refers to becoming more whole," she explains. "With chronic pain, healing involves learning to live with a level of pain that is manageable. For this, yoga and meditation can be very beneficial."