The pain of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) begins with inflammation and joint damage. But stress and negative emotions can make the pain worse. The most effective relief strategies target both the physical and the mental components of pain.

Mind-body therapies like meditation are increasingly used along with standard treatments for conditions like heart disease, anxiety, and depression. In a recent study, researchers evaluated the potential benefits of a type of meditation known as mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) among people with RA.

Living in the moment
MBSR focuses primarily on increasing mental clarity and calmness. It has been used for many years to help people cope with stress, anxiety, chronic pain, headaches, stomach problems, sleep difficulties, fatigue, and high blood pressure.

The practice involves a moment-to-moment awareness and acceptance of one’s thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations. People who practice MBSR learn to view these internal and external experiences in a non-judgmental way, with compassion for themselves and others.

Mindfulness in RA
In a study conducted at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, 63 people with RA were randomly assigned to either a group practicing MBSR or a control group. All participants continued their usual medical care. The MBSR group had eight weeks of instruction in the technique, followed by three refresher classes during the next four months. The control group was placed on a waiting list for a future MBSR class.

After six months, individuals who had practiced MBSR showed a 35% reduction in psychological distress and an increased sense of well-being compared with the control group. Their degree of disease activity had not changed.

Lead investigator Elizabeth K. Pradhan, PhD, MPH, assistant professor in the Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, noted that practicing MBSR appears to quiet much of the judging that goes on in our minds—thoughts like “This is really bad.”

“When you begin to accept life just as it is, without all the judging, what emerges is not just self-acceptance but more acceptance in general,” she says. “People just become more at peace with how things are—which is not to say that they give in to their RA. It’s more like the RA doesn’t become a reason not to be peaceful or happy.”Classes in mindfulness meditation are available around the country.

The MBSR program used in the study was developed at the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. The center maintains a list of instructors by state, at www.umassmed.edu/cfm/mbsr [2].