Everyone knows that stubbing your toe hurts. What makes it stop hurting is the body’s main pain-blocking process – the natural production of opioids. But, in a study published in the JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center found that the pain-relieving effects of meditation is not due to endogenous opioids (i.e., opiates naturally produced by the body). “This study adds to the growing body of evidence that something unique is happening with how meditation reduces pain. These findings are especially significant to those who have built up a tolerance to opiate-based drugs and are looking for a non-addictive way to reduce their pain,” says Dr. Fadel Zeidan. (March 15, 2016).
