If you have tried traditional medications and treatments for a chronic condition but have not been able to find an answer, you may be considering mind-body therapies such as meditation and biofeedback. These techniques work by changing the way your brain and nervous system respond to stress.
In particular, meditation has been shown to deactivate the ‘fight-or-flight’ response that triggers a number of physiological reactions such as heart rate and blood pressure increases, changes in blood flow, sweating, quickened breathing and more. This reduces stress levels, and calms your mental state too, creating a heightened sense of wellbeing.
Studies have also shown that meditation can be effective in reducing depression symptoms. In particular, Sasikumar and Fathima (2017) found that people with type 2 diabetes who took part in a meditation program reduced their stress and depression scores to statistically significant levels after the intervention.
However, the results of this study are mixed. It is unclear whether the effectiveness of meditation for reducing stress in diabetes patients is due to the reduction in physical or psychological causes of the condition.
The use of meditation and biofeedback can be useful in the treatment of certain health conditions such as tinnitus, headaches and urinary incontinence. Research in this area is promising and there is growing interest in the use of mind-body techniques to help improve patient outcomes for various health problems.