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Good for What Ails You
A sampling of current research on the benefits of mindfulness for body and mind Ninety
chronic pain patients following the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction
program at the University of Massachusetts Medical School reported less
present-moment pain, less difficulty with physical activity, and fewer
medical symptoms than those following traditional pain treatment. A
recent Swedish study found that the practice of Mindfulness-Based
Cognitive Therapy caused a 42% reduction in the primary symptoms of
irritable bowel syndrome. Binge eaters who took part in mindful eating programs at
Duke University and Indiana State University reduced the frequency of
their binging by approximately 75%. They also reduced their levels of
insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes. Studies
from the University of Manchester and the University of Montreal found
compelling evidence that people who meditate have a higher pain
threshold in comparison to people who don’t meditate. At
the University of Washington, patients in recovery for substance abuse
took part in a Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention program. Two months
later, they reported 50% lower substance abuse levels and significantly
less craving than the group in regular treatment. A
study from the Cleveland Clinic reported that mindfulness practice
decreased negative emotions and increased well-being in people with
risk-factors for coronary artery disease. Mindfulness
meditation helps people with multiple sclerosis cope with the
depression, fatigue, and anxiety associated with the disease, reports a
Swiss study in the September 2010 issue of Neurology. Working
with clinically depressed patients in remission, a study at Oxford
University found that only 36 per cent of patients in Mindfulness-Based
Cognitive Therapy eventually relapsed, compared 62 per cent of patients
in traditional cognitive therapy.
From the January 2011 issue of the Shambhala Sun.
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