Mindfulness Meditation

Here, the meditator will focus on thoughts and sensations as they travel through the mind. It’s important for one to understand that a particular thought is not to be judged or singled out as more relevant or important than another. Moreover, if a person hears a particular sound from outside of the room, the sound is not to be questioned such as “where did that come from?” The sound is simply observed. The same can be said about pain as will be portrayed below. Mindfulness seems to work well as an adjunct tool for pain management. A painful experience can simply be put on hold while meditating. The remarkable thing about meditation and especially with Mindfulness Meditation, is that it trains the person where to put his or her focus on. Pain is obviously not wanted by anyone and therefore will not be welcomed initially. If a person is already experiencing pain, however, short and consistent meditative exercises may help decrease one’s reaction to acute discomfort.

Mantra Meditation

In this form of meditation, the person will focus on one word or one phrase. As with all types of meditation, if foreign thoughts arise, one should not combat them, but simply let them slide away out of conscious awareness unobtrusively.

Walking Meditation

One can focus on the steps that he or she takes while walking a few blocks from the car to work or around the corner for whatever reason. Concentrate on the feel of the padding beneath one’s feet, the soles of the shoes, the texture and comfort one is experiencing every time a step is taken, the breeze outside, and so on.

Spiritual Meditation

People can use prayer or focus on a single religious concept over and over until it literally becomes a part of them. For example, a person can look at a religious symbol and think about what it represents while softly breathing in and out.

Meditation in general is an effective tool for pain management. With meditation, the person is able to focus on pleasant thoughts and block out anything which is unwanted. Studies are being done which correlate the effects of meditation on one’s sensitivity to pain. Recent research indicates that meditation may increase brain matter that controls sensitivity to pain or discomfort. Therefore, the more one meditates, the more likely a toe stub or accidental fall won’t be as painful. In other words, meditation allows the person to block out any unwanted thoughts or sensations. The same can be said with hypnosis where the person is able to alter states of awareness. Two people with the same injury can experience different levels of pain.

Mindfulness meditation is shown to particularly effective. The reason for this appears obvious after considering the method one undergoes. By utilizing techniques of Mindfulness Meditation, the meditator as stated above learns how and when to channel their perceptions.

As a precaution, meditation should not be used as an exclusive method of choice for pain management. If a person is experiencing considerable pain or discomfort, a medical professional should be consulted.