MBSR

Improve Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease with Mindfulness

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By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“Stress is a primary instigator of symptoms associated with Parkinson’s Disease. A practical and powerful way to reduce stress is to become more mindful which, simply put, means we are present in the moment rather than agonizing over the past or anticipating the future.” – Robert Rodgers

 

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) has received public attention because of its occurrence in a number of celebrities such as Mohammed Ali, Michael J Fox, and Linda Ronstadt. PD is an incurable disease of the central nervous system that attacks the dopamine neurotransmitter system in the brain. There are around seven million people worldwide and one million people in the U.S. living with PD and about 60,000 people are diagnosed with PD every year. PD is associated with aging as the vast majority of patients are diagnosed after age 50. In fact, it has been speculated that everyone would eventually develop PD if they lived long enough.

 

PD is an incurable progressive degenerative disease. The condition is caused by the death of nerve cells in the brain that produce the neurotransmitter dopamine. Its physical symptoms include resting tremor, slow movements, muscle rigidity, problems with posture and balance, loss of automatic movements, and slurring of speech. PD itself is not fatal but is often associated with related complications can reduce life expectancy, such as falls, choking, and cardiovascular problems. There are also psychological effects, especially anxiety and depression. All of these symptoms result in a marked reduction in the quality of life.

 

Mindfulness training has been found to improve the psychological symptoms and the quality of life with PD patients. But, because PD is caused exclusively by a physiological degeneration it would be surprising if mindfulness practice can help improve the physical symptoms. But, in today’s Research News article “Mindfulness for Motor and Nonmotor Dysfunctions in Parkinson’s Disease.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1236994512991139/?type=3&theater

or below or view the full text of the study at:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4842053/

Dissanayaka and colleagues investigated if mindfulness training could improve not only the psychological symptoms and the quality of life but also the physical symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease (PD). They treated PD patients for 8 weeks with a version of the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program that was adapted for PD. Measurements of physical and psychological symptoms were obtained before and after treatment and 6 months later.

 

They found that after mindfulness training there was a significant improvement in anxiety, depression and psychological distress. Cognitive ability also improved including improvements in memory and verbal fluency. These results are compatible with these shown in previous research on mindfulness training for PD patients. These are important effects as they reduce quality of life and can lead to suicidal thoughts. It can be speculated that these effects on psychological well-being were due to the known effects of mindfulness training on emotion regulation. These involve the full experience and recognition of the emotions, but with adaptive responses to them. So, the patients don’t deny how they feel but do not react to them negatively, instead cope with the feelings and act positively.

 

Of the physical symptoms, they observed improvement in postural instability gait dysfunction but not tremor. This is surprising as these motor symptoms are due to direct deterioration of the neural systems underlying movement. It is possible that the yoga component of MBSR may have improved strength, balance, and flexibility and thereby improved the posture and gait of the PD patients even though the underlying brain degeneration was not affected.

 

The psychological and motor improvements that were present immediately after mindfulness training were no longer present six months later. But, it should be noted that PD is a progressive disorder, with symptoms getting worse over time, which could have obscured the improvements detected after treatment. The study lacked an untreated control condition, so it is impossible to determine whether the continued deterioration produced the lack of effects at the 6-month follow-up. It should also be noted, however, that the lack of a control condition limits the conclusion that the mindfulness training was responsible for the improvements and not another confounding variable such as a placebo effect or experimenter bias.

 

Regardless, it is clear that both the psychological and motor symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease can be improve with mindfulness training.

 

“You would expect mindfulness-based interventions to alleviate the psychological symptoms of Parkinson’s – mindfulness has proved its worth at reducing both anxiety and depression – but a recent study suggests mindfulness training could also address some of the physical changes in the brain. An eight-week course of mindfulness training seemed to increase the density of grey matter in two areas of the brain associated with the disease.” – Plastic Brain

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts

 

Study Summary

Dissanayaka, N. N. W., Idu Jion, F., Pachana, N. A., O’Sullivan, J. D., Marsh, R., Byrne, G. J., & Harnett, P. (2016). Mindfulness for Motor and Nonmotor Dysfunctions in Parkinson’s Disease. Parkinson’s Disease, 2016, 7109052. http://doi.org/10.1155/2016/7109052

 

Abstract

Background. Motor and nonmotor symptoms negatively influence Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients’ quality of life. Mindfulness interventions have been a recent focus in PD. The present study explores effectiveness of a manualized group mindfulness intervention tailored for PD in improving both motor and neuropsychiatric deficits in PD. Methods. Fourteen PD patients completed an 8-week mindfulness intervention that included 6 sessions. The Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), Geriatric Anxiety Inventory, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, PD Cognitive Rating Scale, Unified PD Rating Scale, PD Quality of Life Questionnaire, and Outcome Questionnaire (OQ-45) were administered before and after the intervention. Participants also completed the FFMQ-15 at each session. Gains at postassessment and at 6-month follow-up were compared to baseline using paired t-tests and Wilcoxon nonparametric tests. Results. A significant increase in FFMQ-Observe subscale, a reduction in anxiety, depression, and OQ-45 symptom distress, an increase in PDCRS-Subcortical scores, and an improvement in postural instability, gait, and rigidity motor symptoms were observed at postassessment. Gains for the PDCRS were sustained at follow-up. Conclusion. The mindfulness intervention tailored for PD is associated with reduced anxiety and depression and improved cognitive and motor functioning. A randomised controlled trial using a large sample of PD patients is warranted.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4842053/

 

Improve Breast Cancer Survivor Sleep with Mindfulness

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By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“The mindfulness elements of accepting things as they are, turning towards rather than away from difficult emotional experience, and embracing change as a constant are helpful for cancer patients who are may be facing difficult realities. The emotion-regulation strategies practiced in mindfulness interventions help to prevent worry about the future and rumination over past events, and allow patients to live more fully in the present moment, regardless of what lies ahead.” – Tracey Aaron

 

People who are cancer survivors face a myriad of issues including sleep difficulties. It is estimated that one third to one half of cancer survivors experience sleep problems. About 12.5% of women in the U.S. develop invasive breast cancer over their lifetimes and every year about 40,000 women die. Indeed, more women in the U.S. die from breast cancer than from any other cancer, besides lung cancer. It is encouraging, however, that the death rates have been decreasing for decades from improved detection and treatment of breast cancer. Five-year survival rates are now at around 95%.

 

The improved survival rates mean that more women are now living with cancer. This can be difficult as breast cancer survivors can have to deal with the consequences of chemotherapy, and often experience increased fatigue, pain, and bone loss, reduced fertility, difficulty with weight maintenance, damage to the lymphatic system, heightened fear of reoccurrence, and an alteration of their body image. As a result, survivors often develop sleep problems, including difficulties initiating and maintaining sleep. These sleep disturbances can interfere with recovery as they can contribute to stress, fatigue, depression, and poorer treatment outcomes. So, it is important to address sleep disturbance in cancer survivors.

 

Mindfulness training has shown promise in treating sleep disorders. It has also been shown to be helpful with cancer treatment and recovery. So, it would make sense to test whether mindfulness training might be effective in treating sleep disturbances in breast cancer survivors. In today’s Research News article “The Effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR(BC)) on Objective and Subjective Sleep Parameters in Women with Breast Cancer: A Randomized Controlled Trial.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1236247519732505/?type=3&theater

or below or view the full text of the study at:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4487655/

Lengacher and colleagues performed a randomized controlled trial of the effects of an 8-week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program on the sleep of breast cancer survivors. Patients completed a questionnaire regarding their sleep and a sleep diary. They also wore and activity monitor for three days as an objective measure of sleep. Measurements were obtained before treatment and again at 6 and 12 weeks after treatment.

 

They found that MBSR training produced a significant improvement in sleep as assessed with the objective measure (activity monitor) at both 6 and 12 weeks after treatment. The improvements included better sleep efficiency and percentage of time asleep, and also fewer waking bouts. The self-report measures of sleep also showed improvement but were not statistically significant. Since direct, objective measures do not rely on memory or judgement, they are considered more accurate. Thus, the results show that MBSR training improves sleep in breast cancer survivors.

 

These are interesting and potentially important useful results. Improving sleep in cancer survivors may contribute to their health and well-being and their ability to stay in remission. How MBSR has this effect on sleep was not investigated. It can, however, be speculated that MBSR may effect sleep by reducing the patients psychological and physiological responses to stress. This would help to relax the patients making it easier for them to fall asleep and stay asleep. Alternatively, MBSR has been shown to improve emotion regulation, improving the individual’s ability to completely feel the emotion, yet respond to it adaptively. This may help sleep by allowing the individual to better cope with the anxiety, fear, and worry associated with being a cancer survivor.

 

So, improve breast cancer survivor sleep with mindfulness

 

“I am now more easily able to mindfully feel both the difficult and the pleasant emotions of this journey—the uncertainty, the worries and the fear, the relief as I recover, the acceptance of a new normal, and noticing my strength and resilience—each informing the other. Writing about it now I see that having experienced cancer brought with it some gifts: a new sense of integration, a new sense of knowing myself—grounded in the present—with hope for the future.” – Esther Brandon

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

This and other Contemplative Studies posts are available on Google+ https://plus.google.com/106784388191201299496/posts

 

Study Summary

Lengacher, C. A., Reich, R. R., Paterson, C. L., Jim, H. S., Ramesar, S., Alinat, C. B., … Kip, K. E. (2015). The Effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR(BC)) on Objective and Subjective Sleep Parameters in Women with Breast Cancer: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Psycho-Oncology,24(4), 424–432. http://doi.org/10.1002/pon.3603

 

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of MBSR(BC) on multiple measures of objective and subjective sleep parameters among breast cancer survivors (BCS).

Methods: Data were collected using a two-armed randomized controlled design among BCS enrolled in either a six week MBSR(BC) program or a Usual Care (UC) group with a 12-week follow-up. The present analysis is a subset of the larger parent trial (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01177124). Seventy-nine BCS participants (mean age 57 years), stages 0-III, were randomly assigned to either the formal (in-class) six week MBSR(BC) program or UC. Subjective sleep parameters (SSP) (i.e., sleep diaries and the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)) and objective sleep parameters (OSP) (i.e., actigraphy) were measured at baseline, six weeks and 12 weeks after completing the MBSR(BC) or UC program.

Results: Results showed indications of a positive effect of MBSR(BC) on OSP at 12 weeks on sleep efficiency (78.2% MBSR(BC) group vs. 74.6% UC group, p=0.04), percent of sleep time (81.0% MBSR(BC) vs. 77.4% UC, p=0.02) and less number waking bouts (93.5 in MBSR(BC) vs. 118.6 in the UC group, p<0.01). Small non-significant improvements were found in SSP in the MBSR(BC) group from baseline to 6 weeks (PSQI total score, p=0.09). No significant relationship was observed between minutes of MBSR(BC) practice and SSP or OSP.

Conclusions: These data suggest that MBSR(BC) may be an efficacious treatment to improve objective and subjective sleep parameters in BCS.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4487655/

 

 

Biomarkers Predict Mindfulness’ Effectiveness for Caregivers

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By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“mindfulness isn’t just a technique to cope with the stress; it’s a way to fully embrace one’s role as a caretaker, living in the present moment with joy and appreciation, no matter what that moment may bring.” – Elisabeth Dykens

 

There are many characteristics that all human being have in common, but there are also huge individual differences. Virtually everything about us is to some extent unique, including experiences, and physical and psychological characteristics. There is no other face exactly like ours. There is no other brain exactly like ours. There is no other mind exactly like ours. There is no other mind exactly like ours. There is no other personality exactly like ours. These differences are wonderful and define our individuality and uniqueness. There has never been nor will there ever be anyone exactly like you.

 

This uniqueness extends to our reactions to environmental and physical events and even extends to our responses to treatments. One of the most exciting trends in modern medicine is individualized medicine. It has been realized that people respond differently to treatments. The same drug, procedure, or therapy that cures one person will have negligible effects on another, and may harm yet another. So, tailoring the treatment to the individual can maximize effectiveness. In order to do this predictors, biomarkers, are needed. These are measurable characteristic that predict that a certain treatment will be effective for that person. So cancer treatment now includes genetic analysis looking for particular genes that predict that an individual will respond to one treatment rather than another.

 

Mindfulness training has been shown to be an effective treatment for a myriad of psychological and physical conditions, including the psychological and physical problems that develop while providing care for an Alzheimer’s patient. But, this effectiveness is “on average.” While many people are helped, some are not, and some even get worse. In order to improve the effectiveness of mindfulness training it would be helpful to identify who is likely to respond positively and who is not. To do this, predictors, markers, of responsiveness are needed. To date, there have been few studies that attempt to identify predictors, markers, of responsivity to mindfulness training.

 

In today’s Research News article “Biomarkers of Resilience in Stress Reduction for Caregivers of Alzheimer’s Patients.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1228448170512440/?type=3&theater

or below

Ho and colleagues took blood samples from non-professional adult caregivers for Alzheimer’s patients prior to and after an 8-week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) training. They found, confirming the majority of findings in the research literature, that the MBSR course produce significant increases in the mindfulness and the psychological health of the caregivers. In addition, they found that the greater then increase in mindfulness, the greater the improvements in psychological health.

 

Ho and colleagues also found considerable individual differences in the degree of improvement. They then separated the caregivers in three groups based upon the amount of benefit in psychological health obtained from the MBSR training; poor, moderate, and good responders. They used measures of gene expressions in these three groups to investigate potential predictors of responsiveness to MBSR training. They found that genes associated with the modulation of the inflammatory response, stress responses, and depression were highly expresses in caregivers who responded to MBSR training.

 

These results are not surprising as mindfulness training has been previously shown to improve the inflammatory response, stress responses, and depression. Unfortunately, these results do not demonstrate cause and effect. It is equally likely that the improved psychological health produced the changes in gene expression as it is that the changes in gene expression produced the improvements in psychological health, or that some third factor might be responsible for both.

 

To look for possible causal factors, they then looked at gene expressions present before the MBSR training in the various groups. They found that expressions of genes prior to treatment that modulate the immune system and the insulin system were predictive of positive responses to treatment. It has previously been shown that mindfulness training produces improvements in the immune system. But, it has not been previously demonstrated that the state of the immune system prior to mindfulness training would be associated with positive outcomes.

 

These are fascinating results and again demonstrate the effectiveness of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) training for caregivers. But, importantly, the study identifies biomarkers, gene expressions, that predict the individual’s likelihood of having positive improvements in psychological health produced by MBSR training. Caregivers who showed heightened expressions in genes that improve the immune system were those that obtained the greatest benefit. It will require future research to identify how heightened immune system activity might be responsible for MBSR effectiveness.

 

Regardless, the study demonstrates that biomarkers predict mindfulness’ effectiveness for caregivers. This suggests that it may be possible in the future to tailor mindfulness training based upon individual differences in gene expression, maximizing the effectiveness of the therapy.

 

So,

 

“I have discovered that it isn’t so much about what I did or did not say or do that was key to pass on to professionals and family members — it was more about the way in which I was being with the persons who have dementia that seemed important to communicate. […] Each person with dementia has taught me the importance of relaxing into being in the present moment. That moment may be perceived by her to be in a different place or time, but it is her very real and present moment.” –  Nancy Pearce

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

Study Summary

 

Ho L, Bloom PA, Vega JG, Yemul S, Zhao W, Ward L, Savage E, Rooney R, Patel DH, Pasinetti GM. Biomarkers of Resilience in Stress Reduction for Caregivers of Alzheimer’s Patients. Neuromolecular Med. 2016 Mar 17. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 26984114

 

Abstract

Caregiving for a dementia patient is associated with increased risk of psychological and physical health problems. We investigated whether a mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) training course for caregivers that closely models the MBSR curriculum originally established by the Center of Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts may improve the psychological resilience of non-professional caregivers of Alzheimer’s disease patients. Twenty adult non-professional caregivers of dementia patients participated in an 8-week MBSR training course. Caregiver stress, depression, burden, grief, and gene expression profiles of blood mononuclear cells were assessed at baseline and following MBSR. MBSR training significantly improved the psychological resilience of some of the caregivers. We identified predictive biomarkers whose expression is associated with the likelihood of caregivers to benefit from MBSR, and biomarkers whose expression is associated with MBSR psychological benefits. Our biomarker studies provide insight into the mechanisms of health benefits of MBSR and a basis for developing a personalized medicine approach for applying MBSR for promoting psychological and cognitive resilience in caregivers of dementia patients.

 

Cope with Violence Trauma with Mindfulness

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By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“People with PTSD ruminate, and rumination is all about not being present. It’s all about focusing on something terrible that happened in the past or something frightening that will happen in the future, so these patients are stuck in a rut. My personal bias is that mindfulness-based therapy has a big effect on rumination, and decreasing rumination allows people to experience the present moment, which expands their awareness of different possibilities and increases their ability to pay attention to things they have avoided in the past,” – Anthony King

 

Experiencing trauma is quite common. It has been estimated that 60% of men and 50% of women will experience a significant traumatic event during their lifetime. Many, but, only a fraction will develop Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). But this still results in a frightening number of people with 7%-8% of the population developing PTSD at some point in their life.

 

PTSD can be produced by traumatic events occurring to anyone in a variety of different contexts. These include interpersonal violence (IPV). It is defined “as the intentional use of physical or sexual violence against another person within the context of a relationship. This includes physical or sexual violence committed by a family member, intimate partner, friend, or acquaintance.” A frequent form of IPV is intimate partner violence. Indeed, 27% of women and 11% of men have reported that they had been harmed by sexual or physical violence at some time during their lives.

 

PTSD involves a number of troubling symptoms including reliving the event with the same fear and horror in nightmares or with a flashback. PTSD sufferers avoid situations that remind them of the event this may include crowds, driving, movies, etc. and may avoid seeking help because it keeps them from having to think or talk about the event. They often experience negative changes in beliefs and feelings including difficulty experiencing positive or loving feelings toward other people, avoiding relationships, memory difficulties, or see the world as dangerous and no one can be trusted. Sufferers may feel hyperarousal, feeling keyed up and jittery, or always alert and on the lookout for danger. They may experience sudden anger or irritability, may have a hard time sleeping or concentrating, may be startled by a loud noise or surprise.

 

Obviously, these are serious and troubling symptoms that need to be addressed. There are a number of therapies that have been developed to treat PTSD. One of which, mindfulness training has been found to be particularly effective. In today’s Research News article “Trauma-Informed Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Female Survivors of Interpersonal Violence: Results from a Stage I RCT.” See:

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1227840437239880/?type=3&theater

or below

Kelly and Garland randomly assigned adult female survivors of interpersonal violence (IPV) to either an 8-week mindfulness training or wait-list control condition. The intervention was a form of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) that was modified for treatment with trauma survivors.

 

They found that the treatment produced a clinically significant decrease in PTSD symptoms to the point where a significant number of participants could no longer be classified as PTSD sufferers. The more the participant practiced the mindfulness training the greater the reduction in PTSD symptoms. There were also significant decreases in the mindfulness group in depression and anxious attachment. Anxious attachment is a symptom of PTSD that involves “vacillating between attempts to draw in significant others with endearing attention-seeking behaviors and attempts to attract attention through emotional outbursts of crying or anger.” Reducing anxious attachment allows the sufferer to conduct much healthier interpersonal relationships.

 

These are very promising results that suggest that the modified form of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is a safe and effective treatment for PTSD caused by interpersonal violence (IPV). It is not known how mindfulness training could be so effective for PTSD. It can be speculated that the improvement in present moment awareness might have helped by focusing on the individual on the present rather than the past when the trauma occurred and by reducing rumination about the past. In addition, mindfulness training is known to improve emotion regulation and this may allow the PTSD sufferers to not avoid but fully experience the emotions and then respond to them in a constructive fashion. Finally, mindfulness training is known to reduce the physiological and psychological responses to stress. This lowered stress levels may reduce the intensity of their response to memories of the trauma, allowing the individual to be able to internally address the events directly.

 

Regardless of the mechanism, it is clear that mindfulness training is an effective treatment for PTSD symptoms caused by interpersonal violence (IPV). So, cope with violence trauma with mindfulness.

 

“Mindfulness-based stress reduction teaches individuals to attend to the present moment, to attend to what they are experiencing — their thoughts, their feelings — in a nonjudgmental, accepting manner. We think that teaching people these mindfulness skills helps them to have a different relationship with their PTSD symptoms — a willingness to let thoughts be there without trying to push them away,” -Melissa Polusny

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

Study Summary

Kelly, A. and Garland, E. L. (2016), Trauma-Informed Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Female Survivors of Interpersonal Violence: Results From a Stage I RCT. J. Clin. Psychol., 72: 311–328. doi:10.1002/jclp.22273

 

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: This pilot randomized controlled trial evaluated a novel trauma-informed model of mindfulness-based stress reduction (TI-MBSR) as a phase I trauma intervention for female survivors of interpersonal violence (IPV).

METHOD: A community-based sample of women (mean age = 41.5, standard deviation = 14.6) with a history of IPV was randomly assigned to an 8-week TI-MBSR intervention (n = 23) or a waitlist control group (n = 22). Symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression as well as anxious and avoidant attachment were assessed pre- and postintervention.

RESULTS: Relative to the control group, participation in TI-MBSR was associated with statistically and clinically significant decreases in PTSD and depressive symptoms and significant reductions in anxious attachment. Retention in the intervention was high, with most participants completing at least 5 of the 8 sessions for the intervention. Minutes of mindfulness practice per week significantly predicted reductions in PTSD symptoms.

CONCLUSION: TI-MBSR appears to be a promising and feasible phase I intervention for female survivors of interpersonal trauma.

 

Improve Tension Headaches with Mindfulness

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MBSR stress2 Omidi

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“Stress is a known trigger for headaches, and mindfulness is a known combatant against stress. Several studies have shown that mindfulness meditation can curb stress responses” – Mandy Oaklander

 

The most common medical ailment is headaches. They affect about 16.5% of the population of the U.S., approximately 45 million Americans each year. Over eight million seek out medical attention for headaches each year. The most common type of headache is the tension headache. It is estimated that 80 to 90 percent of the population suffer from tension headaches at least some time in their lives, about 69% of males and 88% of females. They come in two categories. Episodic headaches appear occasionally, while chronic headaches occur more than 15 times per month. Headaches are associated with personal and societal burdens of pain, disability, damaged quality of life and financial cost.

 

Tension headaches are generally treated with over the counter analgesics. Opiates, or narcotics, are rarely used because of their side effects and potential for dependency. To prevent tension headaches antidepressants or muscle relaxers are sometimes prescribed. Some individuals learn to employ a non-drug method to prevent or reduce tension headaches by learning what causes the headaches and trying to avoid those triggers. Finally, recently it has been shown that mindfulness techniques are generally helpful with coping with pain and specifically can be effective for headache relief. These include Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). Hence, it makes sense to further investigate the relationship of MBSR with stress reduction and tension headache relief.

 

In today’s Research News article “Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on perceived stress and psychological health in patients with tension headache”

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1215328881824369/?type=3&theater

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4755092/

Omidi and colleagues randomly assigned tension headache sufferers to either a treatment as usual (TAU) group, treated with antidepressant medication and clinical management, or an MBSR group which received TAU plus 8-weeks of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction. They found that the MBSR group had significantly lower headache pain and increased mindfulness, while the treatment as usual group had no significant change in either.

 

These results are impressive and demonstrate that MBSR training may be an effective treatment for tension headache when combined with treatment as usual. Because MBSR contains three primary components; body scan, meditation, and yoga, it is not possible to discern which component or which combination of components were responsible for the improvement in headache pain. It is also not possible to discern if MBSR might be effective alone without the associated treatment as usual.

 

MBSR is structured to reduce stress and has been empirically shown to significantly reduce both the physiological and psychological responses to stress. Since tension headaches are primarily produced by stress and migraine headaches are frequently triggered by stress, it would seem reasonable to conclude that the stress reduction contributed to the effectiveness of MBSR for chronic headaches. Mindfulness training, by focusing attention on the present moment has also been shown to reduce worry and catastrophizing. Pain is increased by worry about the pain and the expectation of greater pain in the future. So, reducing worry and catastrophizing should reduce headache pain. In addition, negative emotions are associated with the onset of headaches. Mindfulness has been shown to increase positive emotions and decrease negative ones. Finally, mindfulness has been shown to change how pain is processed in the brain reducing the intensity of pain signals in the nervous system.

 

Regardless of the mechanism, it is clear that MBSR is a safe and effective treatment for tension headaches. So, improve tension headaches with mindfulness.

 

“In the pain studies, people with chronic pain such as headaches, back pain, neck pain and fibromyalgia who participated in the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Clinic reported a dramatic reduction in the average level of pain during the eight-week training period and for at least four years following the treatment.” – Mindful Living

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

Study Summary

Omidi, A., & Zargar, F. (2015). Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on perceived stress and psychological health in patients with tension headache. Journal of Research in Medical Sciences : The Official Journal of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, 20(11), 1058–1063. http://doi.org/10.4103/1735-1995.172816

 

Abstract

Background: Programs for improving health status of patients with illness related to pain, such as headache, are often still in their infancy. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is a new psychotherapy that appears to be effective in treating chronic pain and stress. This study evaluated efficacy of MBSR in treatment of perceived stress and mental health of client who has tension headache.

Materials and Methods: This study is a randomized clinical trial. Sixty patients with tension type headache according to the International Headache Classification Subcommittee were randomly assigned to the Treatment As Usual (TAU) group or experimental group (MBSR). The MBSR group received eight weekly classmates with 12-min sessions. The sessions were based on MBSR protocol. The Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) were administered in the pre- and posttreatment period and at 3 months follow-up for both the groups.

Results: The mean of total score of the BSI (global severity index; GSI) in MBSR group was 1.63 ± 0.56 before the intervention that was significantly reduced to 0.73 ± 0.46 and 0.93 ± 0.34 after the intervention and at the follow-up sessions, respectively (P < 0.001). In addition, the MBSR group showed lower scores in perceived stress in comparison with the control group at posttest evaluation. The mean of perceived stress before the intervention was 16.96 ± 2.53 and was changed to 12.7 ± 2.69 and 13.5 ± 2.33 after the intervention and at the follow-up sessions, respectively (P < 0.001). On the other hand, the mean of GSI in the TAU group was 1.77 ± 0.50 at pretest that was significantly reduced to 1.59 ± 0.52 and 1.78 ± 0.47 at posttest and follow-up, respectively (P < 0.001). Also, the mean of perceived stress in the TAU group at pretest was 15.9 ± 2.86 and that was changed to 16.13 ± 2.44 and 15.76 ± 2.22 at posttest and follow-up, respectively (P < 0.001).

Conclusion: MBSR could reduce stress and improve general mental health in patients with tension headache.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4755092/

Mindfully Control Back Pain

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By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“MBSR is a practice that can help you “turn the volume down” on the perception of back pain by teaching you to look into the pain, and being with the experience and not resisting it so much. Looking into our emotional reactivity to it. Focusing on the present, rather than being bitter about the past or worried about the future about your back pain, helps you take ownership of the situation (i.e., accept your pain), and ultimately, find creative solutions for pain relief. It trains you to be in control of your mind, not for your mind to control you.” – Mark Neenan
Low Back Pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide and affects between 6% to 15% of the population. It is estimated, however, that 80% of the population will experience back pain sometime during their lives. There are varied treatments for low back pain including chiropractic care, acupuncture, biofeedback, physical therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, massage, surgery, opiate pain killing drugs, steroid injections, and muscle relaxant drugs. These therapies are sometimes effective particularly for acute back pain. But, for chronic conditions the treatments are less effective and often require continuing treatment for years and opiate pain killers are dangerous and can lead to abuse and addiction. Obviously, there is a need for safe and effective treatments for low back pain that are low cost and don’t have troublesome side effects.

 

Pain involves both physical and psychological issues. The stress, fear, and anxiety produced by pain tends to elicit responses that actually amplify the pain. So, reducing the emotional reactions to pain may be helpful in pain management. Mindfulness practices have been shown to improve emotion regulation producing more adaptive and less maladaptive responses to emotions. So, it would seem reasonable to project that mindfulness practices would be helpful in pain management. Indeed, these practices have been shown to be safe and  beneficial in pain management in general and Yoga and mindfulness has been shown to specifically improve back pain. Mindfulness Based Stress Reductions (MBSR) programs contain both yoga and mindfulness practices. So, it would seem reasonable to project that MBSR practice would improve emotion regulation and thereby be beneficial for back pain.

 

In today’s Research News article “Brain and behavior changes associated with an abbreviated 4-week mindfulness-based stress reduction course in back pain patients”

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1205293852827872/?type=3&theater

or see below.

Braden and colleagues investigate the effectiveness of a 4-week program of Mindfulness Based Stress Reductions (MBSR) for the treatment of low back pain. They randomly assigned patients with chronic low back pain to either an MBSR or reading control group. They found that only the MBSR group reported a significant decrease in low back pain and the somatic-affective aspects of depression following the MBSR training. In addition, they performed functional magnetic imaging of the brains of the patients, both before and after training, during a task designed to induce emotions. They found that after MBSR training there was increased activity in response to emotions in the subgenual Anterior Cingulate Cortex and the ventrolateral Prefrontal Cortex. Both of these areas have been associated with emotion regulation processing.

 

Hence the results suggest that a 4-week MBSR training program can be effective for the relief of low back pain and the improvement in emotions. The results suggest that the improvements may have been due to changes in brain processing of emotions produced by the MBSR training. Unfortunately, at a one year follow up the reductions in pain and depression were not maintained. This suggests that an abbreviated program of 4 weeks of MBSR (the standard program is 8-weeks) may be able to improve the patients but not sufficient to produce lasting effects. It remains to be shown if the standard 8-week program can produce more lasting effects. Regardless, the findings provide support for further research into the utility of MBSR training for the treatment of chronic low back pain.

 

So, mindfully control back pain.

 

“Mindfulness soothes the circuits that amplify secondary pain and you can see this process happening in a brain scanner. In effect, mindfulness teaches you how to turn down the volume control on your pain. And as you do so, any anxiety, stress and depression that you may be feeling begins to melt away too. Your body can then relax and begin to heal.” – Danny Penman

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

 

Study Summary

Braden BB, Pipe TB, Smith R, Glaspy TK, Deatherage BR, Baxter LC. Brain and behavior changes associated with an abbreviated 4-week mindfulness-based stress reduction course in back pain patients. Brain Behav. 2016 Feb 16:e00443. [Epub ahead of print]

 

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) reduces depression, anxiety, and pain for people suffering from a variety of illnesses, and there is a growing need to understand the neurobiological networks implicated in self-reported psychological change as a result of training. Combining complementary and alternative treatments such as MBSR with other therapies is helpful; however, the time commitment of the traditional 8-week course may impede accessibility. This pilot study aimed to (1) determine if an abbreviated MBSR course improves symptoms in chronic back pain patients and (2) examine the neural and behavioral correlates of MBSR treatment.

METHODS: Participants were assigned to 4 weeks of weekly MBSR training (n = 12) or a control group (stress reduction reading; n = 11). Self-report ratings and task-based functional MRI were obtained prior to, and after, MBSR training, or at a yoked time point in the control group.

RESULTS: While both groups showed significant improvement in total depression symptoms, only the MBSR group significantly improved in back pain and somatic-affective depression symptoms. The MBSR group also uniquely showed significant increases in regional frontal lobe hemodynamic activity associated with gaining awareness to changes in one’s emotional state.

CONCLUSIONS: An abbreviated MBSR course may be an effective complementary intervention that specifically improves back pain symptoms and frontal lobe regulation of emotional awareness, while the traditional 8-week course may be necessary to detect unique improvements in total anxiety and cognitive aspects of depression.

 

Keep Health Care Professionals from Burning Out with Mindfulness

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By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“Through practicing mindfulness we become more aware of subtle changes in our mood and physical health, and can start to notice more quickly when we are struggling. Rather than waiting for a full meltdown before we take action, we can read the signals of our minds and bodies and start to take better care of ourselves.” – The Mindfulness Project

 

Stress is epidemic in the western workplace with almost two thirds of workers reporting high levels of stress at work. In high stress occupations burnout is all too prevalent. This is the fatigue, cynicism, emotional exhaustion, and professional inefficacy that comes with work-related stress. Healthcare is a high stress occupation. It is estimated that over 45% of healthcare workers experience burnout with emergency medicine at the top of the list, over half experiencing burnout. Currently, over a third of healthcare workers report that they are looking for a new job. Nearly half plan to look for a new job over the next two years and 80% expressed interest in a new position if they came across the right opportunity.

 

Burnout is not a unitary phenomenon. In fact, there appear to be a number of subtypes of burnout. The overload subtype is characterized by the perception of jeopardizing one’s health to pursue worthwhile results, and is highly associated with exhaustion. The lack of development subtype is characterized by the perception of a lack of personal growth, together with the desire for a more rewarding occupation that better corresponds to one’s abilities. The neglect subtype is characterized by an inattentive and careless response to responsibilities, and is closely associated with inefficacy. All of these types result from an emotional exhaustion. This exhaustion not only affects the healthcare providers personally, but also the patients, as it produces a loss of empathy and compassion.

 

Regardless of the reasons for burnout or its immediate presenting consequences, it is a threat to the healthcare providers and their patients. In fact, it is a threat to the entire healthcare system as it contributes to the shortage of doctors and nurses. Hence, preventing existing healthcare workers from burning has to be a priority. Mindfulness has been demonstrated to be helpful in treating and preventing burnout. One of the premiere techniques for developing mindfulness and dealing effectively with stress is Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) pioneered by Jon Kabat-Zinn. It is a diverse mindfulness training containing practice in meditation, body scan, and yoga. As a result, there have been a number of trials investigating the application of MBSR to the treatment and prevention of health care worker burnout.

 

In today’s Research News article “Outcomes of MBSR or MBSR-based interventions in health care providers: A systematic review with a focus on empathy and emotional competencies”

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1197241983633059/?type=3&theater

http://www.complementarytherapiesinmedicine.com/article/S0965-2299(15)30014-5/fulltext

Lamothe and colleagues summarize the published literature on the effectiveness of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) for healthcare worker burnout. They found that the preponderance of evidence from a variety of different trials indicated that MBSR treatment is effective for burnout. In particular, the research generally reports that MBSR treatment significantly improves mindfulness, empathy, and the mental health of healthcare workers. It was found to significantly relieve burnout, and reduce anxiety, depression, and perceived stress.

 

Hence, the published literature is highly supportive of the application of MBSR for the prevention and treatment of healthcare worker burnout. It appears to not only help the worker, but the improvement in the empathy of the worker projects positive consequences for the patients. In addition, the reduction in burnout suggests that MBSR treatment may help to reduce healthcare workers leaving the field, helping to relieve the systemic lack of providers. These are remarkable and potentially very important results.

 

Mindfulness training makes the individual more aware of their own immediate physical and emotional state. Since this occurs in real time, it provides the individual the opportunity to recognize what is happening and respond to it effectively before it contributes to an overall state of burnout. Indeed, mindfulness training has been shown to significantly improve emotion regulation. This produces clear experiencing of the emotion in combination with the ability to respond to the emotion adaptively and effectively. So, the healthcare worker can recognize their state, realize its origins, not let it affect their performance, and respond to it appropriately, perhaps by the recognition that rest is needed.

 

So, keep health care professionals from burning out with mindfulness.

 

“It helps people to undo some of the sense of the time pressure and urgency that makes it so hard to feel present for your patient, and it helps your patients feel like you’re really there, really listening and that you really care. What you learn is to undo the distractedness that comes with worrying about what happens next, and the concern with what’s already over and done with. It doesn’t take more time; it takes an intention and practice to do it successfully.” –  Dr. Michael Baime

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

Improve Mind-Body Connection with Mindfulness

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MBSR EEG EKG 2 Gao

 

By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“It is fascinating to see the brain’s plasticity and that, by practicing meditation, we can play an active role in changing the brain and can increase our well-being and quality of life.” – Sarah Lazar

 

The mind and body are intrinsically intertwined. The old distinction between mind and body has been shown to be a false distinction. The brain, the organ of the mind, also controls the physiology, while the activity of the physiology affects the brain. So, mind and body are interconnected. Hence, mind practices should also affect the physiology just as physiological changes affect the mind.

 

Contemplative practices have been shown to influence both the mind, brain, and the physiology. Among the many physiological effects of contemplative practices are alterations of the cardiovascular system, producing reductions in heart rate, heart rate variability, and blood pressure. Contemplative practices have also been shown to alter the nervous system changing the size, activity, and connectivity of brain structures. These changes can be measured in many ways, but a convenient and inexpensive non-invasive method to document changes in brain activity is by recording the electrical activity of the nervous system from the scalp, known as the electroencephalograph or EEG. Indeed, the changes in brain activity produced by contemplative practices can be seen in the EEG.

 

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) was one of the first contemplative practices to be applied to improving human well-being. It is an amalgam of practices, including meditation, yoga, and body scan. It has been shown to be beneficial for cardiovascular function and to change neural activity. One way to look at the integration of mind-body activity is to measure the relationship between brain activity and cardiovascular activity over time. In today’s Research News article “Entrainment of chaotic activities in brain and heart during MBSR meditation”

Harvard neuroscientist: Meditation not only reduces stress, here’s how it changes your brain

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2015/05/26/harvard-neuroscientist-meditation-not-only-reduces-stress-it-literally-changes-your-brain/

Gao and colleagues investigated the effects of an 8-week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) training program on the coordination of electrical activity from the nervous system (EEG) with the electrical activity from the heart (Electrocardiogram, ECG). The EEG and ECG were recorded during 10-minutes of mindful breathing both before and after MBSR training.

 

They measured the chaotic nature of the activity in both the EEG and ECG employing a measure of wavelet entropy. This measure documents the unpredictability and random nature of the signals. They found that after MBSR training there was a reduction in the entropy of both the brain waves, EEG, and the heart electrical activity, ECG. This demonstrates that MBSR training results in reduced variability and randomness of the electrical activities of both the heart and brain. Significantly, they found that the entropy of the EEG and EKG were highly correlated as a result of MBSR training. That is, the lower the entropy of the EEG, the lower the entropy of that ECG. In other words, as the brain activity became less chaotic, so did the activity of the heart. They were coordinated.

 

One way that Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) training might produce these effects on the level of entropy and its coordination of the heart and brain activities is by its effects on the autonomic nervous system. This system has two roughly opposing systems, the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Sympathetic activation tends in activate the heart and brain while parasympathetic activity tends to reduce activation of both. If these two systems oppose one another instead of acting in a coordinated fashion, then greater variability of the EEG and ECG would be expected. MBSR has been shown to reduce the activity of the sympathetic nervous system both centrally and peripherally and increase parasympathetic activity. The current results, then, could well have occurred by MBSR producing better coordination of the balance of sympathetic and parasympathetic activity.

 

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) appears to improve the coordination between the mind and body. This is emphasized in the body scan and yoga components of MBSR where attention to sensations from the body is emphasized. It is also emphasized during meditation as a result of learning to attend to the sensations associated with breathing. So, MBSR would seem well suited to increasing the coordination of mind and body. Today’s Research News results support this idea.

 

So, improve mind-body connection with mindfulness.

 

“We can intentionally shape the direction of plasticity changes in our brain. By focusing on wholesome thoughts, for example, and directing our intentions in those ways, we can potentially influence the plasticity of our brains and shape them in ways that can be beneficial.” – Richie Davidson

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

Better Measurement of Mindfulness, Anxiety, and Depression

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By John M. de Castro, Ph.D.

 

“Thus, differing assessments may support implicitly distinct theoretical positions with respect to operationalizing mind- fulness. . . . researchers must be well informed and intentional in their selection of assessment tools because the breadth of currently available assessments provides researchers with a variety of measures, each with specific strengths and weaknesses. Not surprisingly, the various measures resulting from the diverse operational definitions of mindfulness have, at times, been found to be uncorrelated or only modestly associated, providing further evidence of confusion within the mindfulness literature.” – Adam Hanley

 

A prerequisite in science is that in order to study something you have to be able to measure it. With many concepts such as mindfulness, depression, and anxiety that reflect subjective states, there are currently no objective means to measure them. Measurement then falls to some kind of after the fact test or to a self-report. Traditionally, these variables have been measured with paper and pencil psychometric tests, such as the Cognitive Affective Mindfulness Scale-Revised, the Beck Depression Inventory, or the Profile of Mood States. They ask the participant to answer the question in regard to how they generally feel. These forms are filled out before and again after an intervention to assess the effect of the intervention on these subjective states.

 

With the advent of smart phones, a different kind of assessment method has emerged and is gaining greater popularity. It is sometimes called ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Individuals receive messages on their smart phones periodically asking them to answer questions about their state at the present moment. This can be done on multiple, somewhat randomly selected, occasions over the day or longer. It provides a measure that doesn’t require the participant to estimate how they feel in general, but rather uses an average of measures provided by the participant at various times.

 

In today’s Research News article “Ecological momentary assessment versus standard assessment instruments for measuring mindfulness, depressed mood, and anxiety among older adults”

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Moore and colleagues recruited elderly (over 65 years of age) participants with clinically significant anxiety distress. They compared the results for participants’ levels of mindfulness, depression, and anxiety measured either by traditional paper and pencil measures of how they were in general to those measured with an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) using smart phones. To obtain the EMA measures participants were sampled 3 times per day for ten days. The participants were randomly assigned to receive Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program or a health education program. They were compared both before and after the interventions with both the traditional and EMA measurements.

 

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) involves training in meditation, body scan, and yoga. It has been shown previously to increase mindfulness, and to decrease depression and anxiety levels in normal individuals and those with anxiety disorders, including the elderly. Moore and colleagues found in their study that on average both measures showed an increase in mindfulness and decreases in depression and anxiety, but, the effects were only statistically significant for ecological momentary assessment (EMA) and not for the traditional paper and pencil measures. These results suggested that EMA measurement in more sensitive and less unstable than traditional measures. To further document this, they calculated the number of participants that would be needed to show a statistically significant effects for the two measurement types and found that EMA measures required nearly half as many participants as the traditional measures. Hence, they found that EMA measure are substantially more sensitive and is capable of detecting differences with fewer participants.

 

These results indicate that ecological momentary assessment (EMA) is a better way to assess the states of research participants. Obtaining measures at a variety of points in time appears to produce more accurate results than asking the participant to estimate their overall states. This makes sense that actual measures are superior to participant estimates. The EMA technique is more expensive, takes more time and effort, and is more intrusive into the daily lives of the participants, but may be worth it for the improved accuracy and sensitivity.

 

“If you’ve ever struggled with depression, take heart. Mindfulness, a simple yet powerful way of paying attention to your most difficult emotions and life experiences, can help you break the cycle of chronic unhappiness once and for all.” – Mark Williams

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies

 

Improve Emotions in MS with Mindfulness

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By Dr. John M. de Castro

 

“Mindfulness practice appears to be a safe, drug-free approach to coping with stress and anxiety, which may in turn help reduce your MS symptoms.” – Amit Sood

 

“Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most widespread disabling neurological condition of young adults around the world. more than 400,000 people in the United States and about 2.5 million people around the world have MS. About 200 new cases are diagnosed each week in the United States. The most common early symptoms of MS are: fatigue vision problems tingling and numbness vertigo and dizziness muscle weakness and spasms problems with balance and coordination.” – Healthline

 

MS is a progressive demyelinating disease which attacks the coating on the neural axons which send messages throughout the body and nervous system. It is most commonly diagnosed in people between the ages of 20 and 50 years.  Unfortunately, there is no cure for multiple sclerosis.  There are a number of approved medications that are used to treat MS but are designed to lessen frequency of relapses and slow the progression of the disease, but they don’t address individual symptoms. Although there is a progressive deterioration, MS is not fatal with MS patients having about the same life expectancy as the general population. Hence, most MS sufferers have to live with the disease for many years. So, quality of life becomes a major issue. There is a thus a critical need for safe and effective methods to help relieve the symptoms of MS and improve quality of life.

 

Quality of life with MS is affected by fatigue, cognitive decrements, physical impairment, depression, and poor sleep quality. But, the emotional symptoms are the most problematic with clinically significant depression present in 50% of MS sufferers and anxiety in about a third of MS sufferers. Since mindfulness has been previously shown to improve depression, sleep quality, cognitive impairments, and emotion regulation, it would seem likely that mindfulness would affect the quality of life in MS patients.

 

In today’s Research News article “Effect of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on Anxiety, Depression and Stress in Women with Multiple Sclerosis”

https://www.facebook.com/ContemplativeStudiesCenter/photos/a.628903887133541.1073741828.627681673922429/1179736912050233/?type=3&theater

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4733502/

Kolahkaj and Zargar compared MS patients who were randomly assigned to receive either Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) or treatment as usual. They were compared prior to the intervention, after and two months later. They found that MBSR produced clinically significant reductions in depression, anxiety, and stress that were maintained two months after the end of active treatment.

 

The size and endurance of the effectiveness of MBSR is striking. But, it should be remembered that the control condition did not receive any active intervention, only receiving treatment as usual. Hence, the effectiveness of MBSR could be due to a number of contaminants including expectancy effects, experimenter bias effects, attention effects, etc. or social effects as MBSR is conducted in groups. It remains for future research to compare MBSR to other active interventions. In addition, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) involves meditation, body scan, and Hatha yoga. It is a potent combination. But, it leaves the question open as to which of the components is effective against the various symptoms of MS. Once again, future research is needed to begin to separate out effective from ineffective components.

 

MBSR is known to reduce the psychological and physiological responses to stress. Since MS produces considerable stress in the sufferers, reducing the responses to stress may be a very important component of MBSR’s effectiveness for depression and anxiety. Also the yoga component of MBSR may be helpful in helping the MS sufferers to better deal with the effects of MS on motor movements and this may reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. Both meditation and yoga are known to improve emotion regulation, allowing the patient to better experience their emotions, yet respond to them adaptively and positively. This could markedly reduce anxiety, depression, and in turn, stress.

 

Regardless of the mechanism, it is clear that Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) produces marked improvement in the levels of anxiety, depression, and stress of MS patients. So, improve emotions in MS with mindfulness.

 

“I dissolved into a spiral of negative thinking. But since I started to practise mindfulness, I can control my negative thoughts and fears about the future. My stress levels are the lowest they’ve ever been and I’m back at work full-time.

I think mindfulness is even having a physical effect on the progression of the disease – my disability progression continues to be slow, even though I’ve been diagnosed for five years now.” – Gareth Walker

 

CMCS – Center for Mindfulness and Contemplative Studies