Meditation Reduces Pain

A report published in the NeuroReport journal (August 2006) has proven that regular meditation reduces the brains' response to pain.

Twelve healthy long-term meditators who have been practicing transcendental meditation for 30years showed a 40 -50% lower brain response to pain compared to twelve healthy controls. 

What's more, when the 12 controls learnt and practiced transcendental meditation for five months, their brain responses to pain also decreased by a comparable 40-50%.

Transcendental meditation, derived from the ancient Vedic tradition in India, is taught through a standard protocol involving lectures, personal instruction and group meetings.  

It could reduce the brain's response to pain because neuroimaging and autonomic studies indicate that it produces a physiological state capable of modifying various kinds of pain. In time it reduces trait anxiety, improves stress reactivity and decreases distress from acute pain.

According to Orme-Johnson, lead author of this research, "Prior research indicates that Transcendental Meditation creates a more balanced outlook on life and greater equanimity in reacting to stress. This study suggests that this is not just an attitudinal change, but a fundamental change in how the brain functions".

Pain is part of everyone's experience and 50 million people worldwide suffer from chronic pain. Transcendental meditation could have a long term effect in reducing responses in the affective component of the pain matrix.

Future research could focus on other areas of the pain matrix and the possible effects of other meditation techniques to relieve pain.

You can read the full report here: www.neuroreport.com

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