2020: A Year of Pain, Suffering and Change
Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year from all of us at the Integrative Pain Science Institute. The year 2020 will go down in history as a time of massive social change. For some, these changes presented opportunities (eg, increased time with family, flexible working, and reduced demand for travel). For others, however, these social changes represented […]
Mindfulness-Based Interventions as a Solution for Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain Conditions
As of 2016, the prevalence of chronic pain conditions in the United States was as high as 20.4% of adults, with 8% suffering from high-impact chronic pain.1 The most popular form of treatment for patients with chronic pain is medication, which has contributed to a growing opioid addiction crisis worldwide.2 Prescription medication has long been […]
Mindfulness and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: New Hope to Overcome Chronic Pain
People living with pain experience many types of thoughts, feelings, memories and physical sensations. They may influence a person to avoid, eliminate, struggle or make attempts to change them. People with pain reduce their activity, engage in excessive thoughts about pain, and ruminate about the cause of pain. The ever-expanding behaviors that develop in an […]
Mindfulness Meditation for Pain Relief: A New Way to Reduce Pain Intensity?
Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have gained increasing popularity over the past several decades for the treatment of many chronic pain conditions. MBIs focus on the nonjudgmental awareness of thoughts, emotions, and feelings without trying to control or change them. While pain reduction is not one of the primary goals of mindfulness practice, a growing body of […]
The Effects of Teaching Mindfulness on Stress in Physical Therapy Students
High stress is exceedingly common in the higher education setting as a result of high expectations for students’ performance and an increasing workload. Keeping up on schoolwork, preparing to enter the workforce, and living independently all create a variety of stressors that can lead to decreased general well-being and academic success.1 For physical therapy students, […]
Mindfulness Training for Physical Therapists
Providing regular care for patients and families can take an emotional toll on healthcare providers, including physical therapists and others who care for people with chronic health conditions.1 Workplace stress and personal issues can create challenges for practitioners who intend to give high-quality compassionate care to their patients, and the connections between compassion fatigue and […]