Meditation is a technique that allows time for heightened awareness and relaxation. There are dozens of forms of meditation, and so there is a type of meditation to suit most people.
Research published in July 2022 has investigated the impact of mindfulness meditation on pain perception and brain activity. They discovered that it significantly reduces the intensity and unpleasantness of pain – it does this by uncoupling the thalamus – the part of the brain which processes pain – from the brain regions responsible for self-referential processing. The researchers have suggested that mindfulness meditation-induced pain relief could be used as a fast acting, non-pharmacologic pain remedy.
Although the prevalence of dementia is expected to triple over the next 40 years, research has revealed risk factors that we can influence through lifestyle choices. A new study has concluded that 30-50% of Alzheimer’s disease cases could be preventable.
Meditation, yoga, and relaxation techniques have gained widespread acceptance among broad segments of the population in recent years. However, meditative, mindfulness-based interventions have also been used successfully for many years in the clinical treatment of psychological and physical conditions such as anxiety, depression, and chronic pain.
Here at The CMA, we are delighted to be able to bring you a series of scientifically-backed research projects on the effects of a variety of complementary and integrative medical therapies.
By Frank Sabatino DC, PhD
By Frank Sabatino DC, PhD
Working out just five minutes daily via a practice described as "strength training for your breathing muscles" lowers blood pressure and improves some measures of vascular health as well as, or even more than, aerobic exercise or medication, new CU Boulder research shows.