Placebos reduce pain by creating an expectation of relief. Distraction—say, doing a puzzle—relieves it by keeping the brain busy. But do they use the same brain processes? Neuromaging suggests they do. When applying a placebo, scientists see activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. That’s the part of the brain that controls high-level cognitive functions like working memory and attention—which is what you use to do that distracting puzzle.
Now a new study challenges the theory that the placebo effect is a high-level cognitive function. The authors—Jason T. Buhle, Bradford L. Stevens, and Jonathan J. Friedman of Columbia University and Tor D. Wager of the University of Colorado Boulder—reduced pain in two ways – either by giving them a placebo, or a difficult memory task. lacebo. But when they put the two together, “the level of pain reduction that people experienced added up. There was no interference between them,” says Buhle. “That suggests they rely on separate mechanisms.” The findings, published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, could help clinicians maximize pain relief without drugs. [continue reading…]
Meditation has analgesic benefits associated with creating a relaxed state of mind and enhancing the ability to moderate reactions to pain, according to new research published in The Journal of Pain, the peer review publication of the American Pain Society. [continue reading…]
I was somewhat intrigued when I discovered this trailer. I have recently started yoga. I have been suffering for some time with an ankle injury…sustained while skipping ( you would think at my age I would have more sense)! Oh and boy , the pain its immense! Well watch this space I’ll let you know how my ankle shapes up with this new addition to my fitness regime ❗
Kelly McGonigal, PhD, is a health psychologist at Stanford University – Check out Kelly’s post for NewHarbingers blog Off the CouchNew Year’s resolutions for people with chronic pain or illness
You can also visit her at yogaforpainrelief.com.
