Improve Coping with Chronic Pain with Yoga By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “By first understanding chronic pain as a mind-body experience and then using yoga’s toolbox of healing practices—including breathing exercises and restorative poses—you can find true relief from pain and begin to reclaim your life.” – Kelly McGonigal We all […]
Relieve Low Back Pain with Yoga By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “reductions in disability and pain intensity were found despite the reductions in opioid use and other medical and self-help pain treatments at six months. The trial confirms the findings of two prior randomized controlled trials with non-veterans showing that yoga is […]
Reduce Pain with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Meditation (which is the ‘formal’ practice of mindfulness) actually changes the way the mind perceives pain (2) so that it’s more bearable. It is a natural and effective way to ease physical pain.” – Melli O’Brien We all have to deal with pain. It’s inevitable, […]
Relieve Depression in Patients with Chronic Pain with Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “By developing a routine meditation practice, clients can use the technique whenever they start to feel overwhelmed by negative emotions. When sadness occurs and starts to bring up the usual negative associations that trigger relapse […]
Reduce Addictions with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “it’s tempting to conclude that mindfulness is the “best new thing” for addiction treatment, but that in reality, further study is needed. “It absolutely has promise, we have a lot more to learn. This is the beginning.” – Sarah Bowen Substance abuse […]
Mindfulness is Associated with Reduced Pain by Improving the Capacity for Pleasure By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “It felt good to realize [through mindfulness] that I can co-exist with my pain. Being mindful helped me realize that in my angry reaction to my back pain, I was neglecting my whole body. I […]
Improve Pain Responding in Adolescents with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “mindfulness was a significant predictor of both real-world and experimental pain outcomes. Adolescents who were more mindful tended to experience less interference in their day-to-day life as a result of pain. Additionally, . . . more mindful adolescents reported less […]
Improve Opiate Relief of Low Back Pain with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “I’ve been doing research on back pain for 30 years. The biggest revolution has been the understanding that it’s not just a physical problem with physical solutions. It’s a biopsychosocial problem.” – Daniel Cherkin Low Back Pain […]
Reduce Pain in Children with Mind-Body Practices By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Guided imagery is a meditative process that uses visualization and imagination to bring awareness to the mind-body connection. Children can easily access this healing process because they’re naturally imaginative. By relaxing into a vivid story they gain tools to deal […]
Reduce Pain with Mindfulness By John M. de Castro, Ph.D. “Mindfulness is an effective practice for approaching chronic pain. It teaches individuals to observe their pain, and be curious about it. And, while counterintuitive, it’s this very act of paying attention that can help your pain.” – Margarita Tartakovsky We all have […]