Just Say Ouch: Mindfulness Training Eases Chronic Pain

Eyes-Wide-Open Mindfulness Techniques Offer Relief With A Simple Message: Just Say Ouch

Beaverton, OR (PRWEB) February 18, 2005 -- What's the best way to manage pain? Just say ouch.

That's a simplified description of the role of mindfulness in reducing the experience of pain. The secret isn't in focusing on the painful sensation itself but in recognizing our tendency to say much more than ouch.

With the painkiller Vioxx pulled from the market over safety concerns, many people are simply suffering in silence, confused about what pain medication is best for them.

Thats a crying shame," says Maya Talisman Frost, president of Real-World Mindfulness Training. Its a perfect time for those with pain to learn ways to reduce their discomfort naturally before trying a new medication."

According to Frost, theres a simple equation that illustrates our experience with pain: Suffering = Pain + Resistance.

Recent studies on pain management conclude that mindfulness can markedly reduce the total suffering we experience by reducing our resistance to pain.

Although most mindfulness-based wellness programs use meditation, Frost focuses on eyes-wide-open techniques clients can use throughout the day to separate their thoughts and emotions from the actual pain, resulting in less stress and distress.

When we feel pain, we start a mental dialogue about how we're going to deal with it, and get caught in thoughts and emotions like worry, disappointment, and anger," says Frost. Net result? Everything feels worse."

Frost used her technique to deliver her four children without so much as a Tylenol, and relies on it when dealing with her own chronic heart condition. On Saturday, March 19th, Frost will offer a workshop in the Portland area called Just Say Ouch: Managing Pain With Mindfulness."

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