Health and Fitness : If you have chronic pain think about this

Pain is real but your mind amplifies what the body feels, especially at night when it's quiet. Paradoxically, a quieter mind might just be what you need to help alleviate pain.

As you feel pain it's easy to say things like, "this is terrible, I can't stand this any more." You may worry that the pain is going to get worse and the more tense and irritable you become the more you hurt. In essence you've trained your mind to focus on and fear the pain.

It isn't difficult to find research supporting mindfulness as a way of dealing with chronic pain. Some studies of mindfulness show that with sustained practice chronic pain can be significantly alleviated.

If you wonder what it's about check out the free guided meditations from the UCLA Mindfulness Awareness Research Center.

If you are experiencing significant pain ask your primary health care provider about the pain clinic at Virginia Gay.

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