In Your Own Hands – Mind-Body Therapies for Chronic Back Pain

Every Monday, my blog post “In Your Own Hands” is where I’ll be featuring articles I find interesting or that I think are a good resource to help you take charge of your health. What articles have you read recently that caught your attention? Leave a comment and let me know.

Comparison of complementary and alternative medicine with conventional mind-body therapies for chronic back pain: protocol for the Mind-body Approaches to Pain (MAP) randomized controlled trial.
This study will evaluate the effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) in treating chronic back pain. MBSR will also be compared to cognitive behavioral therapy.

NIH task force proposes standards for research on chronic low back pain
The National Institute of Health wants to increase consistency in research on chronic lower back pain.

Can virtual reality therapy help alleviate chronic pain?
Virtual reality-based therapy could help chronic pain patients, including veterans, astronauts and the elderly.

Our ability to identify the source of pain varies across the body
The closer a source of pain lies to the center of the body, the more accurate the patient’s ability to identify the location. This study also discusses exciting possibilities for treating chronic pain.

New smart phone apps help doctors manage pain patients
This app could improve treatment, strengthen the doctor-patient relationship and cut costs.