This is a review of a very similar study to the one I participated with on pain at Stanford University using functional real time MRI machines to train individuals to control the blood flow thru the regions of the brain responsible for pain (hence feeling less pain).
But this one is possibly more applicable since it is about people who are trained in mediation and their ability to not feel pain. All of us can learn meditation and don't an MRI machine or clinic trails on pain to teach us.
Read on,
Christopher
Two links to the Stanford study...
http://paincenter.stanford.edu/research ... study.html
http://www.omneuron.com/technology.html
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http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/l ... rid04.html
Sunday, February 4, 2007
Your new mantra: Hey, that doesn't hurt!
By Astrid Pujari and M.D.
Not long ago, I read a fascinating research study.
MRI, as some of you may know, is a noninvasive imaging test that uses magnetic energy to take three-dimensional pictures of internal body organs. "Functional" MRI is a new application of MRI, in which you can see how blood flow to the brain changes as you think; it is a way to monitor brain activity.
In the research study, when 12 people who were skilled at meditation were examined using functional MRI, they had a 40 to 50 percent lower brain response to pain than 12 people who had never done meditation.
And when the people in the latter group learned transcendental meditation, their brain responses to pain also dropped by 40 to 50 percent when they were retested five months later.
Everyone experiences pain. Whether you've just stubbed your toe or gone through major surgery, the fact is that most people prefer a painless existence. This study suggests a prescription-free way to do just that.
In addition, I am excited by the potential ramifications for people I see with chronic pain. The International Association of Pain estimates that 35 percent of adults have chronic pain. As a doctor, I have seen how disabling and disempowering that diagnosis can be. Imagine how great it would be if someone could reduce his or her pain by 40 percent without ever leaving the couch!
The type of meditation used in this study was transcendental meditation. TM is a mantra-based meditation practice, which uses a repeated sound in order to allow the mind and body to achieve a state of restful alertness.
There are actually many mantra-based meditation practices, taught by many cultures for thousands of years. The benefit to TM is that it has research to support it, and that it is standardized; the downside is that it is fairly expensive to learn from an accredited center.
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Dr. Astrid Pujari is a Seattle M.D. with an additional degree as a medical herbalist; she practices at the Pujari Center and teaches as part of the residency programs at Virginia Mason and Swedish Providence hospitals. Her column is a weekly feature in Sunday Northwest Life. Send questions to apujari@seattletimes.com for possible use in future columns.
Your new mantra: Hey, that doesn't hurt!
-
Christopher
- Posts: 845
- Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2003 10:09 pm
- Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: Date of Injury: 12/15/02
Level of Injury:
-dominant side C5, C6, & C7 avulsed. C8 & T1 stretched & crushed
BPI Related Surgeries:
-2 Intercostal nerves grafted to Biceps muscle,
-Free-Gracilis muscle transfer to Biceps Region innervated with 2 Intercostal nerves grafts.
-2 Sural nerves harvested from both Calves for nerve grafting.
-Partial Ulnar nerve grafted to Long Triceps.
-Uninjured C7 Hemi-Contralateral cross-over to Deltoid muscle.
-Wrist flexor tendon transfer to middle, ring, & pinky finger extensors.
Surgical medical facility:
Brachial Plexus Clinic at The Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN
(all surgeries successful)
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
~Theodore Roosevelt - Location: Los Angeles, California USA
Your new mantra: Hey, that doesn't hurt!
Last edited by Christopher on Mon Feb 08, 2010 7:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
-
Christopher
- Posts: 845
- Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2003 10:09 pm
- Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: Date of Injury: 12/15/02
Level of Injury:
-dominant side C5, C6, & C7 avulsed. C8 & T1 stretched & crushed
BPI Related Surgeries:
-2 Intercostal nerves grafted to Biceps muscle,
-Free-Gracilis muscle transfer to Biceps Region innervated with 2 Intercostal nerves grafts.
-2 Sural nerves harvested from both Calves for nerve grafting.
-Partial Ulnar nerve grafted to Long Triceps.
-Uninjured C7 Hemi-Contralateral cross-over to Deltoid muscle.
-Wrist flexor tendon transfer to middle, ring, & pinky finger extensors.
Surgical medical facility:
Brachial Plexus Clinic at The Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN
(all surgeries successful)
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
~Theodore Roosevelt - Location: Los Angeles, California USA
Re: Your new mantra: Hey, that doesn't hurt!
Good 3 min news coverage video link on story posted above and below...
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?sectio ... id=5073839
==================================
Patients Learn To Use Brain To Beat Pain
Could Help Control Addictions
Feb. 27, 2007
Chronic pain is one of health care's biggest and most expensive issues. Innovative research from Stanford tries to teach patients how to control their own pain. Scientists hope this is major first step in pain relief for millions.
Sean Mackey, M.D., PhD, Stanford pain researcher: "As the brain activity increases, her pain also increased."
You are getting a unique look at a brain in pain -- the red area shows waves of pain racking a patient's body and brain. Stanford pain specialist Dr. Sean Mackey says he's trying a new approach to controlling pain, because pain is a very big deal.
Sean Mackey, M.D., PhD: "Pain is an absolutely huge issue. So it's estimated to affect over 50 million Americans alone -- over 170,000 people each year seek treatment in a chronic pain center."
Chronic pain sufferers have usually tried everything, from over-the-counter pills to prescriptions medications. Some still don't get relief. Stanford researchers are trying to teach pain patients how to control their pain, using their brains.
Phillip Morrison, pain study patient: "The worst days, it was so bad that I would have trouble brushing my teeth, brushing my hair and I couldn't really swim at all."
Pain has been a constant part of Phillip's life for more than 10 years. As a Stanford swim student training for Olympics, he could barely lift his arm.
Phillip Morrison: "Anything that was past here, it would hurt. It was painful."
During the study, Phillip was placed into a functional magnetic resonance imaging machine (fMRI). First Dr. Mackey had him do mental exercises to try to increase his pain while watching feedback of his own brain activity.
Phillip Morrison: "I imagined someone stabbing me here, and, you know, the knife actually tweaking around."
Sean Mackey, M.D., PhD: "When he would increase, the brain activity represented by this orange area his pain would also go up."
Then Phillip was told to try to reduce his pain while watching his brain waves.
Phillip Morrison: "I would think of, you know, either someone massaging it, or cool colors touching it, and sucking all the bad energy out."
And it worked -- the blue area shows Phillip was able to reduce his pain a lot.
Sean Mackey, M.D., PhD: "There were so many people who came out of the scanner who said for the first time, I can see the pain in my brain and I can control it. And that was a very powerful experience."
Dr. Mackey says patients in the study averaged about a 40-percent drop in pain, but he cautions much more research is needed before this is clinically available.
While Phillip is not pain-free, he says he continues to improve by practicing some of what he learned in the scanner.
Phillip Morrison: "I think that the studies show that you can definitely decrease or increase a lot your pain problems, just by your mental state or mind."
More proof that it's mind over matter.
Researchers hope to broaden the research to larger number of subjects trying to control several areas of the brain. Ultimately, they hope to expand outside of pain relief into control over tobacco or drug addictions, as well.
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?sectio ... id=5073839
==================================
Patients Learn To Use Brain To Beat Pain
Could Help Control Addictions
Feb. 27, 2007
Chronic pain is one of health care's biggest and most expensive issues. Innovative research from Stanford tries to teach patients how to control their own pain. Scientists hope this is major first step in pain relief for millions.
Sean Mackey, M.D., PhD, Stanford pain researcher: "As the brain activity increases, her pain also increased."
You are getting a unique look at a brain in pain -- the red area shows waves of pain racking a patient's body and brain. Stanford pain specialist Dr. Sean Mackey says he's trying a new approach to controlling pain, because pain is a very big deal.
Sean Mackey, M.D., PhD: "Pain is an absolutely huge issue. So it's estimated to affect over 50 million Americans alone -- over 170,000 people each year seek treatment in a chronic pain center."
Chronic pain sufferers have usually tried everything, from over-the-counter pills to prescriptions medications. Some still don't get relief. Stanford researchers are trying to teach pain patients how to control their pain, using their brains.
Phillip Morrison, pain study patient: "The worst days, it was so bad that I would have trouble brushing my teeth, brushing my hair and I couldn't really swim at all."
Pain has been a constant part of Phillip's life for more than 10 years. As a Stanford swim student training for Olympics, he could barely lift his arm.
Phillip Morrison: "Anything that was past here, it would hurt. It was painful."
During the study, Phillip was placed into a functional magnetic resonance imaging machine (fMRI). First Dr. Mackey had him do mental exercises to try to increase his pain while watching feedback of his own brain activity.
Phillip Morrison: "I imagined someone stabbing me here, and, you know, the knife actually tweaking around."
Sean Mackey, M.D., PhD: "When he would increase, the brain activity represented by this orange area his pain would also go up."
Then Phillip was told to try to reduce his pain while watching his brain waves.
Phillip Morrison: "I would think of, you know, either someone massaging it, or cool colors touching it, and sucking all the bad energy out."
And it worked -- the blue area shows Phillip was able to reduce his pain a lot.
Sean Mackey, M.D., PhD: "There were so many people who came out of the scanner who said for the first time, I can see the pain in my brain and I can control it. And that was a very powerful experience."
Dr. Mackey says patients in the study averaged about a 40-percent drop in pain, but he cautions much more research is needed before this is clinically available.
While Phillip is not pain-free, he says he continues to improve by practicing some of what he learned in the scanner.
Phillip Morrison: "I think that the studies show that you can definitely decrease or increase a lot your pain problems, just by your mental state or mind."
More proof that it's mind over matter.
Researchers hope to broaden the research to larger number of subjects trying to control several areas of the brain. Ultimately, they hope to expand outside of pain relief into control over tobacco or drug addictions, as well.