Meditation eases chronic lower back pain Chronic back pain might be alleviated by closing your eyes and calming your mind. In a study conducted by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), nearly 40 patients with chronic lower back pain were taught meditation techniques. After eight weeks, overall pain was decreased and physical function improved. Three months later, when the UPMC team followed up on each patient, they found that most of them had continued their daily meditation regimen because it provided ongoing benefits in managing pain. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette accurately notes that the results of the trial might be less remarkable than the fact that the study was conducted at a leading research hospital. In fact, UPMC has a Center for Integrative Medicine that's headed up by Dr. Ronald Glick, a psychiatrist and licensed acupuncturist. Dr. Glick told the Post-Gazette: "We're closely connected to the residency program, both internal medicine and family medicine." That's encouraging news - especially if you happen to live in the Pittsburgh area, which also boasts another mainstream leader in integrative medicine: Allegheny General Hospital (AGH). At AGH, patients are offered a free session of Reiki - a Japanese stress- reduction treatment that is believed to help promote healing. You can find more information about the health benefits of meditation techniques - along with some first-hand advice on how to get started with a meditation regimen - in the e- Alert "Monkey Mind" (6/29/06) at this link: http://www.hsibaltimore.com/ealerts/ea200606/ea20060629.html Source:
"Easing Pain Through Meditation Illustrates Mind's Role in Healing" Jack Kelly, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 1/30/08, post-gazette.com | 
