Mindfulness, Meditation and related practices can help Arthritis patients
Regular Mindfulness, Meditation practice along with gentle yoga asana practice can help ease arthritis and its crippling effects like tenderness, pain and stiffness among arthritis patients.
Arthritis affects more than 180 million people in India, of which two-thirds are below the age of 65. Further, it is estimated the numbers are not only rapidly increasing in the big cities like Delhi or Mumbai but are also on an upswing in the smaller towns of India.
The three main types of Arthritis are…
1/3. Osteoarthritis – It is the most commonly seen arthritis. It is a joint disease, which is progressive and degenerative and characterised by the breakdown of joint cartilage.
The most common form of Arthritis, India is tipped to become the Osteoarthritis capital of the world with more than 60 million potential Osteoarthritis cases by 2025.
2/3. Rheumatoid Arthritis – It is caused by the inflammation of the membranes lining the joints causing pain, swelling and even joint damage.
According a research done by Malaviya AN1, Kapoor SK, Singh RR, Kumar A, Pande I in the rural population around Delhi, India projected around 1% of India to be afflicted with Rheumatoid arthritis.
3/3. Juvenile Arthritis – It is the term used to describe the inflammatory conditions, which occur in children below 16 years.
What is common to all arthritic patients is the acute or chronic pain they endure. Hence, pain management plays an important role in the treatment agenda of arthritic patients. Pain killers are usually prescribed to relieve the arthritic pain. However, prolonged use of pain killers leads to a host of physiological problems. Large quantities of painkillers can also increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases and strokes.
Mindfulness, Meditation, Yoga asana and related practices can play a pivotal role in pain management, pain relief and mental relaxation. Studies have proved that mindfulness, meditation and yoga can increase our tolerance to pain. Fazel Zeidan, a post-doctoral researcher at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine, U.S.A., after his study on 15 people, found out that meditation practice reduces one’s sensitivity to pain.
Research has also pointed towards benefits chanting can offer. According to Late Dr. K.K. Agarwal Music, especially chanting of vowel based mantra like ‘Om’ can help stimulate vagus nerve, balance the sympathetic & parasympathetic nervous system, open up the sinuses and produces interleukin-2, which has the same effect as aspirin.
Another study conducted at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, U.S.A., found out that music reduces pain and depression that are commonly seen in arthritic patients.