Mindfulness-Based Interventions
/Mindfulness-Based Interventions
Mindfulness-based interventions include slow controlled breathing, mindfulness meditation, cognitive–behavioral therapies, biofeedback, guided imagery and physical activities such as yoga, tai chi, and qigong. These activities may be used to increase self-awareness, relieve stress, and improve interoception. Interoception refers to the representation of the internal world, and includes the processes by which an organism senses, interprets, integrates, and regulates signals from within itself (Chen et al., 2021; Weng et al., 2021).
“Mindfulness-based interventions include slow controlled breathing, mindfulness meditation, cognitive–behavioral therapies, biofeedback, guided imagery and physical activities such as yoga, tai chi, and qigong.”
Mindfulness-Based Interventions and Pain Management
There are many ways that people can practice mindfulness-based interventions, some common ways are through yoga classes, meditation classes, exercise and even mindful colouring. There are also guided classes, like empowered relief, which is a promising approach to self-management that incorporates pain education, self-regulatory skills (ie, relaxation, cognitive reframing, and self-soothing), and mindfulness principles (Darnall et al., 2021). The practice of mindfulness has been around for a long time, but the practice has not received much scientific attention. Research into mindfulness-based interventions show that it can be a helpful adjunct in managing pain and other stress related noncommunicable diseases by fostering resilience through self-care (Sharpe et al., 2024).
There are various psychological, neurological and physiological changes associated with mindfulness-based interventions, include activation of specific brain regions, increased heart-rate variability, and suppression of stress-induced inflammatory pathways (Alaiti et al., 2022). Mindfulness is not a panacea, but it is an evidence-based option for patients who are willing to explore non-pharmacological options for pain management (Sharpe et al., 2024).
“Yoga usually involves some combination of the following: postures and poses (asanas), regulated breathing (pranayama), and meditation and relaxation (samyana). Yoga is a good way to enhance body awareness and interception, research also shows that movement based yoga has a positive effect on improving depressive symptoms in people with a range of mental disorders (Brinsley et al., 2021).”
Key Takeaways
Increasingly people are looking for alternative pain management strategies. The challange with mindfulness-based interventions is that it is not a one size fits all, what works for one person may not work for another, so it is important to try different approaches. The next step for researchers is to investigate what sort of dosage and duration would be needed to optimize the effects of this non-pharmacological approach.
References and Sources
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Brinsley, J., Schuch, F., Lederman, O., Girard, D., Smout, M., Immink, M. A., Stubbs, B., Firth, J., Davison, K., & Rosenbaum, S. (2021). Effects of yoga on depressive symptoms in people with mental disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis. British journal of sports medicine, 55(17), 992–1000. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2019-101242
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