Brain injuries and spinal cord injuries (SCIs) can change a person’s life. In addition to the physical problems they cause, SCIs often cause constant pain, which is very bad and can lower a person’s quality of life. Luckily, there is more and more evidence that holistic practices like mindfulness and meditation can help people with SCI cope with their pain, along with standard medical approaches.
In this regard, “This is Spinal Crap“, an educational podcast that explores the world of alternative medicine to help people with SCI to feel better. Various SCI patients talk about the difficulties of living with chronic pain after an SCI, the advantages of awareness and meditation, and other valuable ways that can help you in your daily pain management.
The Challenge of Chronic Pain with SCI
Up to 80% of SCI patients experience chronic discomfort. This discomfort might take several forms:
- Neuropathic pain: Burning, tingling, shooting
- Musculoskeletal pain: Movement-related muscle, joint, and bone discomfort
- Central discomfort: Damaged spinal cord pain
Constant discomfort can cause:
- Tiredness and sleep issues
- Memory and concentration issues
- Depression and anxiety
- Fewer social interactions
- Lower life quality
The Power of Mindfulness and Meditation for Pain Relief
Ancient methods that are growing more and more common in modern medicine as a means of pain management are mindfulness and meditation. These practices can assist persons with SCI in the following respects:
- Mindfulness practice can help individuals view their discomfort without judgment. This awareness can help lessen the emotional effect and degree of suffering.
- Better emotional control: Usually, pain makes one anxious and irritable. Through better emotional control, meditation can help individuals control discomfort.
- Mindfulness and meditation can assist those suffering from chronic pain in improving their coping mechanisms. Exercises involving deep breathing help muscles relax and lessen pain.
- Lower stress: Chronic pain may get worse under stress. Mindfulness can help lower stress and enhance well-being by encouraging serenity and acceptance.
- Better sleep quality: Chronic pain often makes sleeping difficult. Meditation can improve pain management through restful and deep sleep.
Mindfulness and Meditation
It is this mindfulness and meditative reach that makes them so beautiful. Here are some tips to get you started:
- Many online resources offer free guided meditations for pain relief.
- Applications for mindfulness: Many apps include breathing exercises, guided meditation, and other mindfulness techniques. Calm, Headspace, and Insight Timer are famous.
- Meditation classes: Yoga studios and community centres may provide basic meditation programmes.
- One of the most straightforward mindfulness practices is focusing on your breath. Locate a peaceful area, sit comfortably, and shut your eyes. Become aware of how your breath feels coming into and leaving your body. When your mind wanders, gently bring it back to your breath.
Meditation And Medicine
When combined with medical treatment, meditation yields the most beneficial outcomes. Although several medications can help treat spinal cord injuries, like NSAIDS and methylprednisolone, the outcomes of Tramadol speak for themselves. Patients are willing to buy Tramadol overnight to alleviate the pain that they are experiencing as a result of their spinal cord injury. It is better to consult a doctor, as he can prescribe the correct dosage and monitor you for potential side effects.
Beyond Pain Relief: The Additional Benefits of Mindfulness and Meditation for SCI
For those with spinal cord injuries (SCI), the benefits of mindfulness and meditation go far beyond just reducing pain. Here’s how these routines might improve your well-being even more:
- Improved quality of life: Chronic pain can make life difficult. Meditation and mindfulness help one be more relaxed and lessen suffering, guiding a more harmonic life. You can pick up interests, hang out, and engage in activities you have avoided due to suffering.
- Reduced anxiety and depression: Regular pain can lead to both. Consciousness helps you keep positive and control unwanted feelings. Reduced uneasiness and gloominess might come from highlighting the present and enfolding your circumstances.
- Consciousness helps you see, without percipience, your ideas, sentiments, and perceptions.
- Improved focal point: By teaching focus and attention, consciousness increases cognition and output.
- More acceptance: Spinal cord injuries alter lives. Mindfulness encourages acceptance of your current situation. Acceptance helps you move forward calmly and flexibly.
- Increase self-compassion: Chronic pain can be depressing and lower self-esteem. Mindfulness techniques like meditation can help you relax and sleep better, which improves pain management and well-being.
A Final Note
Although it takes dedication and persistence, practising mindfulness and meditation has many benefits beyond pain relief. With these techniques, you can improve your well-being and mental health, regain control of your life, and fully manage your SCI. Remember, it’s a journey, not a destination. Embrace the process, find what works for you, and recognize your progress.
