Practicing mindfulness can help ease physical pain
Mindfulness — the awareness and acceptance of a situation without judgment — has been shown to have benefits in treating many conditions such as anxiety and depression. It turns out that even a brief introduction to mindfulness helps people deal with physical pain and negative emotions, Read More...
ER patients report less pain after short visit from therapy dog
While hospitals often welcome therapy dogs within their wards as a means to comfort and uplift patients, the therapeutical benefits of these our best furry friends haven’t actually been proven clinically — that is, until now. A new study from the University of Saskatchewan shows that a visit Read More...
Your loved one suffers from migraines? Here's how to help them
For anyone who suffers from migraines, the pain can be unbearable. On the one hand, there is the physical pain of these recurring headaches. On the other hand, there’s the frustration of people downplaying just how much people with migraines can suffer. According to the National Headache Read More...
Framing pain as a positive makes life richer
We typically fear pain and try to avoid it at all cost. Yet it is an unparalleled gate to positive experiences involving richer connections to ourselves, others and our world, says Brock Bastian, ARC Future Fellow, School of Psychology at UNSW Australia. A heightened sense of pleasure, more Read More...
Hands-on healing
Craniosacral therapy, a form of light massage, may be controversial, but many patients are convinced of its benefits. Ana Karadarevic and Jessica Wapner | July/August 2010 issue We need more than multinationals to achieve economic Read More...
High-touch help
Simple human contact can help reduce physical pain and emotional anxiety. David Servan-Schreiber | July/August 2010 issue Carla has fallen off her bike and has a bad cut above her eye. She’s bleeding; she’s shaking; her head hurts. Her husband Jack has called an ambulance, but Read More...
Replacing pain killers with hypnosis
It may not be your method of choice for major operations, but for a growing number of procedures – from childbirth to dental surgery – hypnosis is an effective alternative to conventional sedatives and analgesics. Ursula Sautter | December 2008 issue Alexis Makris, a 19-year-old Read More...
I'm feeling your pain - really
Tracing the neurological roots of empathy. David Servan-Schreiber | September 2008 issue Deborah paces the floor in the hospital waiting room. Her daughter is undergoing her third session of chemotherapy. Deborah imagines once again how the freezing poison is spreading through Catherine’s veins. Read More...