Mindfulness-based
stress reduction (MBSR)
is a technique developed
by Jon Kabat-Zinn for
use in patients, including those with chronic
pain, depression, cancer, heart disease and
anxiety. Based on the
Buddhist practice of
mindfulness, but essentially independent of
any esoteric tradition,
MBSR trains the practitioner to become more
aware of their momentto-moment thoughts.
Rather than modifying
these thoughts, practitioners are taught to
modify their attitude to
these thoughts. MSBR
also involves the practice of seated meditation, together with a
body-scan relaxation
technique and some
yoga postures. A number of studies have
shown that MBSR has
a measurable impact
on the well-being of
patients suffering from
chronic pain. In one of
these studies, conducted by Kabat-Zinn, more
than 65% of patient
who had failed more
conventional
methods of pain management responded to a
10-week programme
of
MBSR.
Patients
not only reported an
improvement in their
level of pain, but also
an improvement in
the mood disturbances
14
precipitated by chronic
pain [6].
Furthermore, in cancer patients, particularly those with hormone-dependent cancers such as breast and
prostate cancer, MBSR
can lead to significant
improvements in quality of life. In a study
conducted by Michael
Speca and colleagues,
MBSR was shown to
elicit a 65% improvement in mood and a
35% improvement in
symptoms of stress [7].
In a recent meta-analysis of studies of MBSR,
Paul Grossman and colleagues concluded that
MBSR was an effective
stress-reduction method that was associated
with clear benefits in
terms of both overall
health and the ability
of patients to cope with
their illness. The size
of the effect seen is
dependent on both the
frequency and duration
of practise [8].