The Science of Mindful Meditation

This presentation will examine the uses and benefits of adopting mindfulness therapies within the scope of a comprehensive treatment plan. For people with persistent pain, practicing mindfulness meditation can be helpful, with moderate effects seen in reducing pain intensity. Compared to normal medical care for pain, meditation also seems to improve other important aspects of life, such as depression, coping ability, quality of life and sleep, acceptance, and physical functioning. Compared to people who do not meditate, people with acute or short term pain who have had meditation training report less distress and more pain tolerance in the research laboratory. This presentation will define mindfulness and meditation, offer a guided practice addressing pain symptoms, and provide an overview of multimodal management of mindfulness therapy. Only secular, nonreligious forms of mindfulness will be discussed (Recorded at PAINWeek 2016)