Meditation Program Eases Emotional Stress of RA
For most people with RA, the disease’s effects extend far beyond pain and inflammation in the joints. Living with a painful chronic disease can also lead to symptoms of depression and psychological and emotional distress. A new study shows Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), can help.
MBSR therapy is a meditation program that teaches participants to relate differently to thoughts and emotions and to continually focus the mind on the present moment. In a study of 63 adult RA patients, those who received eight weeks of intensive MSBR followed by a four-month maintenance program were found to experience significant improvement long-term in depressive, psychological, and emotional symptoms compared to a control group.
Despite this improvement, the therapy had no impact on RA disease activity itself. Yet, investigator Elizabeth Pradhan, PhD., believes MBSR has a role in arthritis treatment. “For doctors wishing to offer patients a complement to medical management, mindfulness meditation may offer hope for improving psychological distress and strengthening well-being in patients with RA,” she says.
Study was published in the journal Arthritis Care & Research. 10/1/07
