Experiencing Wellness Within Illness
Qualitative Health Research April 11, 2014 DOI: 10.1177/1049732314529662 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 16 |
| Population | Volunteers attending Breathworks for persistent back pain |
| Citations | 26 |
| Key findings | All 16 participants reported a change in their experience of pain after mindfulness-based training, described through the core theme of "embodied awareness." Learning to respond rather than react and to live moment by moment let participants replace a cycle of suffering with acceptance; all reported greater acceptance and better quality of life, and some described wellness despite ongoing pain. |
Abstract
In this article I explore how mindfulness-based techniques affect perceptions and management of back pain and discuss these findings in relation to embodiment theory and liminality. Sixteen volunteers attending Breathworks for persistent back pain took part in this study. The theme of "embodied awareness" formed the core category, as all participants reported a change in their experience of pain. Such embodied changes are described in relation to five subthemes: unpacking the pain experience, changing relationship to pain, letting go of the label, self-compassion and acceptance, and wellness within illness. Learning to respond rather than react, and living moment by moment enabled participants to replace a cycle of suffering with one of acceptance. Rather than fearing pain, participants found ways to move through it and live with it. Although some expressed finding a sense of wellness despite ongoing pain, all participants reported greater acceptance and a better quality of life.
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- Enhanced Resting-State Functional Connectivity With Decreased Amplitude of Low-Frequency Fluctuations of the Salience Network in Mindfulness Novices Frontiers in Human Neuroscience March 3, 2022
- A literature review of Breathworks and mindfulness intervention British Journal of Healthcare Management May 2, 2018
- Teaching Transnational Buddhist Meditation with Vipassanā (Neiguan 內觀) and Mindfulness (Zhengnian 正念) for Healing Depression in Contemporary China Religions March 21, 2021
- A Systematic Review of Mindfulness Practices for Improving Outcomes in Chronic Low Back Pain. International Journal of Yoga 2020
- A "Collective Effort to Make Yourself Feel Better": The Group Process in Mindfulness-Based Interventions. Qualitative Health Research January 2018
Cites 11
- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2003
- Mechanisms of mindfulness Journal of Clinical Psychology December 29, 2005
- Mindfulness meditation for the treatment of chronic low back pain in older adults: A randomized controlled pilot study ☆ Pain June 4, 2007
- A qualitative study of mindfulness‐based cognitive therapy for depression British Journal of Medical Psychology June 1, 2001
and 6 more in the library