February 2017 workshop: managing pain mindfully
In her February 28 presentation, “Mindfulness and Chronic Pain Management,” Susan Flannigan (CNP, MPH) from the University’s Center for Spirituality and Healing (CSH) discussed non-pharmaceutical methods of dealing with chronic pain. In addition to exercise and “waiting it out,” she described another method, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), offered through CSH (csh.umn.edu).
This program has long-lasting effects in coping with chronic pain and illness, without reverting to pills. Developed in 1979 by Jon Kabat-Zinn, it is offered in more than 700 medical centers in the U.S. and around the world.
Susan, who teaches MBSR, defined mindfulness as paying attention to the present moment without judgment. With training and practice, mindfulness and meditation help to manage pain and also to change neuropathways in the brain. She demonstrated exercises in breath and body awareness and explained how to conduct a “36-minute body scan.” She also described ways to incorporate loving-kindness meditations for ourselves and toward others.
Recommended sources include MBSR meditations and classes (with discounts for University retirees) listed on both the UMRA and CSH websites. The American Mindfulness Research Association (AMRA) offers online readings and carries 25 topics per month relating to mental health issues. The monthly U of M “Current” also offers tips on well-being and news about upcoming health-related events.
Thanks to Susan for an excellent presentation.
— Larry Johnson and Gwen Perun, UMRA members
February workshop leader will discuss non-drug practices in managing pain
Tue, February 28 2017, 1:30pm
Campus Club ABC
This workshop will be led by Sue Flannigan, a nurse practitioner who has worked in a Fairview family practice clinic for 25 years and Hazelden Betty Ford treatment center.
She is board certified in Adult, Gerontology and Women’s Health Care. Her interest in health promotion and preventive health was influenced by her background in public health.
Personal meditation and awareness practices led her to become a teacher of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. She is also working on integrating mindfulness tools in pain management, chronic illness, women’s health, and chemical dependency.
Ms. Flannigan says that learning to turn off the stress response through mindfulness practice helps reduce pain. These practices have been brought into mainstream medicine over the last 30 years by Jon Kabat-Zinn, who developed the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program.
Thirty years of research have shown benefits in dealing with anxiety, depression, addictions, the aging brain, pain management, chronic illness, resilience in the workplace, and facilitation of learning in educational settings. The presentation will present short mindfulness practices that can be used in daily life.
The workshop begins at 1:30 p.m. in Campus Club ABC following the UMRA luncheon. You need not to have attended the luncheon to participate in this workshop. Everyone is welcome.
— Earl Nolting, UMRA program committee
Upcoming Events
Our July 15 "hike" is going to be a kayaking adventure on Bde Maka Ska (formerly Lake Calhoun) and Lake of the Isles! If you don't have a kayak (or paddleboard), Wheel Fun Rentals, located next to the new concession stand rents single kayaks at $15 an hour and double kayaks at $25. The second hour is free if we rent before noon. Life jackets are provided with the rental.
Laura Ericksen will lead the discussion of How Stella Learned to Talk by Christina Hunger, a true story by a speech-language pathologist who taught her dog, Stella, to communicate using buttons associated with different words.
Our August 5 hike will be a reprise of our hike last summer at William O'Brien State Park. This is a beautiful park with a winding trail and a great view of the countryside. The hike is about 5.5 to 6 miles and we'll go at a moderate pace with frequent water breaks. After the hike, we will eat lunch at Rustic Roots Winery, a half mile north of the park.
Kathy Cramer will lead the discussion of The Bookbinder by Pip Williams, a book set in 1914 Oxford chronicling the life of Peggy who works in the University bindery, but craves a life beyond binding books but to being a scholar herself.
Enjoy a two-hour cruise on the Jonathan Padelford, leaving from the Harriet Island dock in St. Paul, boarding time at 5:30 p.m. We will have a brief program on board by Patrick Nunnally from the River Life Program of the Institute on the Environment.
August 31 is the due date for annual reports and updates. Annual Reports, Toolkits, web page updates, operating document updates and archives collections are all due each year on this date.
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After a summer break the UMRA Photo Club will next meet September 10, 2024 in the meeting room of the Hennepin County St. Anthony Branch Library. For those interested in lunch, meet at the Great Dragon at 11:30 am. For September the THEME will be Curves
We will continue to discuss the pros and cons of Medicare Advantage. You will also hear about notable non-health plan and non-broker resources.