PAIN AND KILLERS

How many times have we seen painkillers become the killersthemselves? About one third of all Americans suffer from some sort of chronicpain, but time and time again it is proven that numbing the pain does noteliminate the pain. There are natural and significantly successful ways tomanage pain without becoming addicted to the illusion of a panacea in a pill.

A new treatment has been developed to try to avoid the manypitfalls of opioid dependency on treating pain. It’s called MORE(Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement). In a study published in theJournal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, showed that the new treatmentled to a 63 percent reduction in opioid misuse, compared to a 32 percentreduction among participants of a conventional support group.

MORE is designed to train people to respond differently topain cues by targeting the underlying processes involved in chronic pain andopioid misuse by combining three therapeutic components: mindfulness training,reappraisal and savoring.

• Mindfulness involves training the mind to increaseawareness, gain control over one's attention and regulate automatic habits.

• Reappraisal is the process of reframing the meaning of astressful or adverse event in such a way as to see it as purposeful or growthpromoting.

• Savoring is the process of learning to focus attention onpositive events to increase one's sensitivity to naturally rewardingexperiences, such as enjoying a beautiful nature scene or experiencing a senseof connection with a loved one.

In the study, subjects were randomly assigned to eight weeksof either MORE or conventional therapy, and results were measured throughquestionnaires at pre- and post-treatment, and at a three-month follow-up.Nearly three-quarters of the conventional group misused opioid painkillers. Thosefollowing the MORE process were less likely to do so, and a daily 15-minutemindfulness practice session guided by a CD and three minutes of mindfulbreathing prior to taking opioid medication increased awareness of opioidcraving, helping participants clarify whether opioid use was driven by urgesversus a legitimate need for pain relief.

Acupuncture, including “cupping” treatments can help reducethe necessity for any painkillers at all, along with therapeutic massage andspinal disc decompression. There are a number of ways you can put down the pilland lose the pain without risking your life. It really is mind over matter.