“It’s an exciting time to be a pain researcher.
Now more than ever, we are seeing that physical pain can be dramatically shaped by our thoughts, expectations, and ruminations about impending events.
These are all inherent targets of mindfulness practice.
And while we still don’t fully understand how mindfulness meditation works to reduce pain, we’ve learned a lot about the process.”
Fadel Zeidan
Fadel Zeidan is an associate professor of anaesthesiology at the University of California San Diego and has conducted extensive research on the effects of mindfulness on chronic pain. You can hear him talk about his findings, and career background here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLQJJDrbj6Q
One of the ways mindfulness is proposed to help pain is by changing how you perceive pain so that it is a passing experience rather than it taking over and becoming who you are. This can be so empowering! I’ve heard a number of people over the years shift their relationship to pain and be less limited and distressed even when pain is still present. This can be heard in the comment “I am not my pain.”
Take a look at this fascinating neurophysiological research.
https://journals.lww.com/pain/fulltext/2023/02000/disentangling_self_from_pain__mindfulness.8.aspx