Article - The Brain-Daily mail

One a possitive note -Article in Daily Mail How the brain can change

With neural plasticity training- especially chronic pain.

I 've read the article it was Tuesday 13th Jan Heath pages,

A book has been written by Normon Doige? but very interesting article,plus the Dr himself has chronic pain and a pain specialist,so yes I am in widespread chronic pain with no let up,but wanted to try instead of talking about the horribleness of it maybe looking at another approach maybe helpful to use all.

I'm trying not to dwell on it,hard work but the more I do it eats away at my soul,so I'm back to listening to Jon Kabat Zinn and his audio book mindfulness for pain relief and trying the meditations again.But if you can access the brain article worth a look

Warm wishes

Wendy

[Boozybird]

It makes me laugh how news people think you can erase basic pathology with mindfulness or neural plasticity training. I get that when there is no medical solution all there is to do is manage and calm the mind from constantly freaking out but as far as I know nerves are irritated for a pathological reason! But thanks for sharing and I should read the article before I write! Lol...

[Hidden in reply to Boozybird]

Hi Boozybird,I am far from saying that there isn't a basic cause,neurological,nerve,damage to areas of the body,neither are Drs,and yes you could see it as a way out for Drs,but I know for sure from my pain specialist that I've known for 26 years and is head of the British pain society that if there was somthing magical out there to relieve all of us in chronic pain she and other specialists would be giving it out.Yes it is holy awful living with chronic pain and this was just a little possitive approach for us to look at,again it takes work from ourselves,all pain is real,but for me I'm trying to deal with the secondary suffering that comes along with it,the mental brain stuff that for me sends my brain into overload so I do want to find a calm place to be with the suffering.

Hope you find the article interesting

Wendy

[Boozybird in reply to Hidden]

Hi Wendy, of course I wasn't suggesting it was rubbish and honestly, thanks again for sharing! We're all in this together..... x

[Calceolaria]

Thanks Wendy. We were told this also on our three week Pain Management Programme, that exercise and relaxation techniques can reprogramme the brain's perception of chronic pain. I'm undecided! Will read the article though.

[nedd]

Afternoon BendyWendy

I just love your tag.

I have been frantically trying to find a programme on the Airing Pain site.

That covered research on pain suffers directing thoughts to certain areas of the brain.

I seem to remember that they were hooked up to brain imaging and it involved focusing on a dot on a computer screen.

I was very encouraged by the findings.

I personally think that we are at the very beginning of understanding the brains response to pain. And I would love to get on a trail.

There is still much we don't know.

And there is a long way to go. But the journey has started and at least now it is more or less taken seriously.

I agree it does eat away at the soul may you and your spirit be enjoying sunshine.

As whippet and I are.

Let there be light.

[nedd]

dailymail.co.uk/health/arti...

Is this the article that you quoted?

[Hidden in reply to nedd]

Hello Nedd,yes the article was in the Heath pages of daily mail,my mum told me about it,I'm not a daily mail reader!! But it was the brain and its power of healing,Dr Moskowitz wrote the article who was trained as a pysiciatrist for patients with chronic pain,but now works with patients using visual imagery to work towards retraining the brain,I too find it fasinating how pain changes in severity every moment,I've just come back from having a root canal done at dental training hospital,having the injections in mouth took some pain away from my legs which are in pain most of the time,so yes I want to look into this more,I am in a very hypersensitive state of pain,and in areas where no damage is there,i.e bum gives me agony when I sit too long.I did see a programme on pain on channel 4 couple years ago,burns patients when having their dressings changed and very very painful,they used virtual glasses with lots of action to take mind onto somthing else,but this is probably distraction rather than reprogramming.It all takes time,and yes I would love a quick fix.

Thanks for your kind words,hope you can work through the article and find some relief too

Best wishes,do you have a whippet,I'm from Yorkshire so love them

Wendy

[deejames]

I've just started the Mindfulness training meditation. I'm in week two and feeling benefit already. I'm learning to not go into the stated of tension and dispair that were making my pain worse. Occasionally I've managed to breathe into it and its gone away. The time that I start taking painkillers is slowly getting later. Its early days yet and hard work but I'd recommend this programme for anyone with chronic pain. I will post again on this subject as I progress through . I'm just using the book and the CD for the guided meditations.

[Hidden in reply to deejames]

Hello Deejames,well done for doing the mindfulness course,and pleased you have been able to breathe into your pain,like you I've have been able to get relief,but I can only get a couple of seconds so far,but it takes a lot of practice especially when in severe pain and wanting it to just stop.we've had this joke in my family that comes to mind " you would prefer a frontal lobotomy or a bottle in front of you"!! Well at times I want both

I do think our brains are powerful muscles and a step towards somthing that we can do for ourselves,it is hard work,but I am hoping I can join the seconds up at some point,really like to hear your news on how the course is going.

I'm hopefully going to go to breath works in Manchester to do a three day course.

Thinking of you

Wendy

[Boozybird]

Mindfulness training made me feel depressed.

[deejames]

How far did you get in the programme Boozybird ? I gather that some parts can bring up all sorts of hidden emotions,even make people cry but it ultimately make the emotional side of their pain much better. I just ant to try to help myself if I can. I dislike passively taking every medicine that my GP or Pain clinic nurse suggests. Its worth persisting with I believe

[snappy1 in reply to deejames]

I am not joyous in taking meds but I have had sessions regarding 'painful experiences', all that has happened I'd I have got more angry and depressed.the meds don't make you forget but they do ease my pain. i am sure when they offer cbt to me I will take it

[Boozybird in reply to deejames]

Hi Dee and Snappy, it wasn't the emotional thing that made me depressed but rather the isolating experience of being with oneself. I think being with others and getting out and about is more beneficial than contemplating the navel so to speak. That's why cp is so depressing because it removes us from normal life and mindfulness/meditation feels the same to me. Of course, having said that all things in moderation. Being out in the world full of people who are not caring is unrewarding just like too much introspection I think is depressing. I get the whole progressive relaxation thing because it is useful to become aware of where we carry tension and also being aware of how the mind worries itself and catastrophises events etc is useful but purposefully turning the gaze inward feels wrong to me and after 3 months made me more anxious and crazy. I had to stop and get out and try and cultivate new friendships, cups of tea, chatting, laughing - avoiding myself and the pain.

[Curlygirl54]

I found the regular Mindfulness very hard - the body scan thing was particularly tough as to focus on the many areas of my body that are hurting SO much ( understatement

[Hidden]

Yes, deep meditation can stop the brain producing pain, hormones (in China women have meditation/hypnotherapy to rebalance their hormones). And if the drug companies were clever they would be exploring the power of the brain rather than making drugs that don't work. No reason why they can't set up and train Staff for meditation and hypnotherapy centres. They have the funds to do it.

Those who are dubious - have you ever been doing something that makes you happy and you suddenly notice you are not noticing your pain as much? You got into the flow (different brain waves functioning). A while back somebody on here said they enjoyed being with their grandchildren and they forgot their pain. That's rewiring the brain in a simple form. So this person had a couple of hours pain free because he enjoyed being with his grandchildren. Imagine what long term benefits he would have if he had hypnotherapy or meditation which reached the same areas of his brain? No drugs. The one single reason why alternative therapies are not being researched in the UK. The drug companies would loose billions. It really is that simple - if the brain can make pain, it can stop making pain.

[Hidden]

Hello Zanna,I totally agree with your last post on meditation,but also after I did the Input course at St Thomas's in London,they work with a book called The Happiness Trap,ACT,acceptance and commitment therapy,by Russ Harris,lots of tools to work through,the power of the mind,our thoughts,feelings,sensations,yes it takes a bit of working at and am an no where near finding my way yet in the face of being in pain all the time now,but I am aware that the more I dwell,feel the wretched guilt of it the more intense the pitch is,I have managed to get on my scooter and go swimming,which takes a couple of notches off the pain scale,and the power of meeting people and just smiling even in pain,does add to life,so even if in desperate pain,do a little thing to make someone a little happier,a compliment,a phone call,or a hug can change our brains

Regards

Wendy