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mindfulness does not stop pain signals from reaching the brain but reduces the ensuing sense of discomfort. getty
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a small study contemplating the science of mindfulness found this form of meditation may be effective at reducing pain because it interrupts communication between the areas of the brain responsible for this sensation with those governing one’s sense of self.
the enlightening research, published in the journal pain, found that mindfulness does not stop pain signals from reaching the brain but reduces the ensuing sense of discomfort because an individual does not feel the same ownership over these sensations.
“one of the central tenets of mindfulness is the principle that you are not your experiences,” said fadel zeidan, senior author of the study and an associate professor of anesthesiology at uc san diego school of medicine, said in a news release. “you train yourself to experience thoughts and sensations without attaching your ego or sense of self to them. we’re now finally seeing how this plays out in the brain during the experience of acute pain.”
at the outset of the study, 40 subjects had their brains scanned at the same time painful heat was applied to their legs. after experiencing a series of heat stimuli, they were asked to rate their level of pain during the experiment. they were then divided into two groups.
the intervention group was required to complete four 20-minute mindfulness training sessions during which they learned how to focus on their breathing and acknowledge and let go of their thoughts, sensations and emotions without judgment. the control group was required to listen to audiobooks during this time.
at the end of the study, both groups had their brains scanned again but this time the intervention group was asked to focus on their mindfulness training while the painful heat was applied. the control group was simply told to rest with their eyes closed. those who were actively meditating during this process reported a 33 per cent drop in pain unpleasantness and a 32 per cent reduction in pain intensity.
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“we are really excited to confirm that you don’t have to be an expert meditator to experience these analgesic effects,” zeidan said. “this is a really important finding for the millions of people looking for a fast-acting and non-pharmacological treatment for pain.”
a closer look at the brain scans revealed that mindfulness-induced pain relief was linked to reduced synchronization between the area of the brain that relays sensory information to the rest of the brain (the thalamus) and areas of the brain that are most active when a person is processing their own thoughts or their mind is wandering (the default mode network.)
one of these areas, known as the precuneus, is highly involved in a person’s sense of self-awareness, while another, the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, helps process how a person relates to, or places value in, their experiences. the more out of sync these areas became, the more pain relief was reported.
“for many people struggling with chronic pain, what often affects their quality of life most is not the pain itself but the mental suffering and frustration that comes along with it,” zeidan said. “their pain becomes a part of who they are as individuals — something they can’t escape — and this exacerbates their suffering.
“we feel like we are on the verge of discovering a novel non-opioid-based pain mechanism in which the default mode network plays a critical role in producing analgesia. we are excited to continue exploring the neurobiology of mindfulness and its clinical potential across various disorders.”
dave yasvinski is a writer with healthing.ca
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