September 20, 2006
Meditation Can Drive Out Your Pain
DALLAS — Since human misery can’t be measured with an X-ray or blood test, the only true gauge of pain lies inside a person’s own mind. One approach to pain management, experts say, is to transform the brain from a simple messenger for pain into its master.
A generation ago, the American public largely viewed mental methods of pain control with the same seriousness as a Vulcan mind meld. Since then, acceptance of alternative medicine has soared, with pain sufferers leading the way.
The popularity is partly driven by the sheer numbers of desperate people. One 2003 study suggested that 13 percent of the workforce loses productivity from headaches, back pain, arthritis and other common painful conditions.