In a 2008 study, 144 people with symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis were treated with mindfulness meditation, cognitive behavioral therapy (psychotherapy that addresses negative thoughts and behaviors), or wellness education. Although the therapy most effectively reduced pain, mindfulness meditation improved participants' depression and joint tenderness levels. This was especially important, the researchers said, because depression and chronic stress are linked to inflammatory activity.
"One of the things we found was an increasing energy in people who are mindful," says lead author Alex Zautra, Ph.D., Foundation Professor of Psychology at Arizona State University in Tempe. "Their zest for life was much greater, and they had more ability to put illness in its place and move forward. They stopped spending all their energy fighting the sensation of [rheumatoid arthritis pain]."
Mindfulness also reduced levels of cytokines, inflammatory molecules that increase pain in those with symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.
"That suggests that mindfulness has a biological consequence," Zautra says.
Women tend to be more receptive to mindfulness than men, he says, in part because men tend to think of it – inaccurately – as a passive process.
"Even though you're [physically] still, you're busy at the work of awareness," he says.
Learning Mindfulness
The most effective way to learn mindfulness exercises is with group training, Zautra says.
He suggests finding classes through a local university or hospital – a growing number are offering mindfulness programs for people with chronic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis pain.
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