Mindfulness meditation can be a substitute for painkillers that does not involve neuropeptides, a natural regulator of pain sensitivity in the human body. Scientists at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center stated this, based on research results.
According to Phys.org, a group of scientists led by Fadel Zeidan, assistant professor of neurobiology and anatomy at Wake Forest Medical Center, conducted an experiment in which participants were injected with naloxone, an opioid receptor antagonist, and a placebo. The 78 volunteers were divided into four groups: meditation plus naloxone, naloxone alone, meditation plus placebo, and placebo alone. The participants in the experiment were hurt by inserting a thermal probe, which heated a small area of the skin to 49 degrees Celsius. Volunteers rated the level of pain they experienced using a special scale.
It was found that pain was reduced by 24% in the meditation + naloxone group, and by 21% in the meditation + placebo group. In the groups without meditation, the level of pain experienced increased regardless of whether the subjects were administered naloxone or placebo. “This proves that, first, meditation, if properly prepared, can reduce pain. And secondly, it is not related to the opioid system of the body (neuropeptides),”explained Dr. Zeidan.
According to the scientist, their work can be useful for people whose bodies have developed immunity to pain medications. Such patients may be offered meditation as part of a comprehensive therapy.
According to the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, approximately 100 million Americans today suffer from chronic pain.
Alexander Kornev