Meditation

The dark side of meditation: Mental health risks

By Anastasia Climan, RDN, CD-N | Fact-checked by Barbara Bekiesz | Published May 3, 2024 Key Takeaways Meditation is generally safe and beneficial, but certain practices can result in adverse events, which are often underreported in the scientific literature. These negative reactions can include psychotic or delusional symptoms, dissociation or depersonalization, fear, stress, gastrointestinal issues, […]

Have chronic low back pain? Try meditation

Published April 27, 2022 | Originally published on Keck School of Medicine of USC – Research News Millions of people suffer from chronic low back pain around the country. It’s a common condition that can keep people from doing the things they want to do, and it can have a negative impact on one’s overall […]

Meditation Combined with Aerobic Exercise Reduces Stress and Rumination While Enhancing Quality of Life in Medical Students

The Journal of Alternative and Complementary MedicineVol. 26, No. 5Original ArticlesFree Access MAP Train My Brain: Meditation Combined with Aerobic Exercise Reduces Stress and Rumination While Enhancing Quality of Life in Medical Students Paul Lavadera, Emma M. Millon, and Tracey J. Shors Published Online:11 May 2020https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2019.0281 Abstract Medical students must commit a great deal of […]

Noninvasive Nonpharmacological Treatment for Chronic Pain: A Systematic Review Update [Internet].

Editors Skelly AC, Chou R, Dettori JR, Turner JA, Friedly JL, Rundell SD, Fu R, Brodt ED, Wasson N, Kantner S, Ferguson AJR. Source Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US); 2020 Apr. Report No.: 20-EHC009. AHRQ Comparative Effectiveness Reviews. Structured Abstract Objectives: We updated the evidence from our 2018 report assessing persistent […]

Pain: Considering Complementary Approaches (eBook)

US Department of Health and Human Services National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health Pain is the most common reason for seeking medical care. It is also a common reason why people turn to complementary health approaches. This 47-page eBook provides an overview of complementary health approaches for pain, including acupuncture, massage therapy, meditation, spinal […]

Stressed at work? Transcendental Meditation May Help

Published Tuesday 23 October 2018 People who practice meditation often hail it as a fix for anything from anxiety to physical pain. Indeed, some studies suggest that it may improve our sense of well-being. Now, new research finds that one type of meditation — transcendental meditation — can relieve stress and boost emotional intelligence. The […]

An Integrative Approach to Prostate Cancer – Full Text Article

The Journal of Alternative and Complementary MedicineVol. 24, No. 9-10 Invited Review ArticlesFree Access Donald I. Abrams Published Online:24 Sep 2018 https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2018.0169 The mostly indolent natural history and long overall survival associated with a diagnosis of prostate cancer provides a unique opportunity for men to explore diet and lifestyle interventions to alter the trajectory of […]

Exercising the Mind to Treat Attention Deficits

BY DANIEL GOLEMAN MAY 12, 2014 3:56 PM Which will it be — the berries or the chocolate dessert? Homework or the Xbox? Finish that memo, or roam Facebook? Such quotidian decisions test a mental ability called cognitive control, the capacity to maintain focus on an important choice while ignoring other impulses. Poor planning, wandering […]

Is meditation the answer to cognitive decline?

Published Sunday 8 April 2018 By Tim Newman Fact checked by Jasmin Collier In a study endorsed by the Dalai Lama, individuals who regularly meditate were followed over 7 years. The authors conclude that meditation can enhance mental abilities and protect against age-related cognitive decline. As we age, our cognitive ability slowly slides. The resulting […]

Veterans who learn Transcendental Meditation find relief from PTSD, new study shows

PUBLIC RELEASE: 12-JAN-2018 After one month, 80 percent had symptoms reduced to below the clinical level Veterans of the war in Vietnam, the Gulf War, Somalia, Iraq, and Afghanistan suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) found significant relief from their symptoms as a result of practicing the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique, according to a new […]

Can mindfulness help you shed those extra pounds?

NOVEMBER 29, 2017 Healthline/Medical News Today If you want to keep weight gain under control, you may want to consider taking up mindfulness meditation, new research suggests. Mindfulness techniques may be effective in maintaining weight loss and preventing a rebound. Can mindfulness really help with that extra weight? Recent research has concerned itself with the […]

Meditation and Cardiovascular Risk Reduction

October 10, 2017 Journal of the American Heart Association TAKE-HOME MESSAGE The authors of this American Heart Association scientific statement reviewed the effects of meditation on cardiovascular risk. The quality and quantity of evidence reviewed were modest but indicate a possible beneficial effect of meditation on cardiovascular risk based on the effects on physiological response […]

Meditation and yoga can ‘reverse’ DNA reactions which cause stress, new study suggests

Date: June 15, 2017 Source: Coventry University Summary: Mind-body interventions (MBIs) such as meditation, yoga and Tai Chi don’t simply relax us; they can ‘reverse’ the molecular reactions in our DNA which cause ill-health and depression, according to a study. Mind-body interventions (MBIs) such as meditation, yoga and Tai Chi don’t simply relax us; they […]

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Effective for Treating Low-Back Pain in the Short-Term

May 04, 2017 Annals of Internal Medicine TAKE-HOME MESSAGE The authors of this meta-analysis evaluated the efficacy of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) for the treatment of low-back pain. There was an association between MBSR and improved pain and physical functioning in the short-term, but this was not sustained. There was no impact on disability, mental […]

Meditation and blood pressure: A meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials

Journal of Hypertension, 03/07/2017 Shi L, et al. – This exploration was designed to assess the impact of meditation interventions (transcendental meditation and non–transcendental meditation interventions) on blood pressure (BP). Findings of this meta–analytical study suggested the potential of non–transcendental meditation for providing promising reductions in both SBP and DBP when employed as an alternative […]

Mindfulness meditation lowers stress hormone and decreases inflammation in body, scientists find

Sarah Knapton 24 JANUARY 2017 Mindfulness meditation, the practice of paying more attention to the present moment, helps lower stress hormones and decreases inflammation in the body, scientists have proven for the first time. The training has been growing in popularity in recent years, with the NHS recommending mindfulness as a way to reduce stress and […]

Complementary Health Approaches for Pain Management

September 13, 2016 Mayo Clinic Proceedings TAKE-HOME MESSAGE The authors of this review evaluated the available evidence regarding the use of complementary health approaches to assist in the management of chronic pain. There was positive evidence to show that some strategies may be beneficial for specific complaints. Select complementary health approaches may be beneficial for […]

Mindfulness Meditation Uses Distinct Neural Pathways To Reduce Pain Better Than Placebo

AUGUST 23, 2016 Recent research showed that mindfulness meditation is significantly more effective at reducing pain intensity and pain unpleasantness than placebo analgesia, sham mindfulness meditation and other cognitive-based approaches by using distinct neural mechanisms (J Neurosci 2015;35:15307-15325). “This study is the first to demonstrate that mindfulness-related pain relief is mechanistically distinct from placebo analgesia,” […]

Mindfulness Moderates Pain in Knee Osteoarthritis

July 19, 2016 Osteoarthritis and Cartilage/OARS, Osteoarthritis Research Society TAKE-HOME MESSAGE In this randomized comparative trial, 80 patients with knee osteoarthritis were enrolled and associations between mindfulness and health outcomes were evaluated. Mental and physical components of quality of life, self-efficacy, depression, and stress were associated with total mindfulness score. Mindfulness was not significantly associated […]

Yoga, Meditation Show Memory, Mood Benefit in Seniors

Yoga/meditation group showed improved memory, less depression and anxiety WEDNESDAY, May 11, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A regular meditation practice might benefit older adults beginning to experience memory deficits, according to a study published online May 10 in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. The study focused on 25 adults ages 55 and older deemed to […]