ABSTRACT
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) was conceived by Jon Kabat-Zinn in 1979 as a way to teach patients with chronic medical conditions how to live fuller, healthier, more adaptive lives. MBSR is currently offered in over 700 medical centers in the US More than 35 years of research has shown physical and mental health benefits of MBSR, including reduced anxiety, depression, and pain, as well as improved cognitive, brain, and immune function. MBSR is a formalized and well-structured group intervention that is participant-centered, experiential, and educational. The core of the 8-week program involves intensive training in mindfulness meditation and its applications for daily living and coping with stress, pain, and illness. Studies on MBSR have shown improvements in quality of life and psychological symptoms of distress in patients with a variety of chronic pain conditions including back pain, fibromyalgia, arthritis and chronic headache/ migraines.
