BREATHING IS SOMETHING WE ALL DO without conscious effort, but simply paying attention to the process might be a key to reducing pain for people with cancer.
Mindful breathing involves concentrating on your breath—following its movement in and out and noticing how it feels—and focusing on the present moment without judgment or self-criticism, according to Tan Seng Beng, a palliative medicine physician at Subang Jaya Medical Centre in Selangor, Malaysia. This practice can help calm the nervous system, release muscle tension and reduce activity in the part of the brain that processes pain.
Incorporating mindful breathing into your daily routine can help make it easier to tap into calm during times of stress, says licensed clinical social worker Shiori Lange. Take a few moments to focus on your breath after brushing your teeth, before driving, during the bus ride to work or as you prepare for bed. “Do it when you’re not stressed so that your body remembers how to do it in case of a stressful moment,” Lange says.
Tan led a study published Aug. 20, 2024, in BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care that enrolled 40 people with various types of cancer who reported moderate-to-severe pain. Twenty-one completed a single 20-minute guided mindful breathing session, while the rest talked with researchers about their cancer experience. Both groups completed pain and anxiety questionnaires before and after the session. The mindful breathing group reported larger decreases in pain intensity, pain unpleasantness and anxiety than the control group right after the session. “Their relationship with the pain changed” as a result of focusing on their breath, Tan says.
These findings add to the growing evidence that mindful breathing can help manage chronic cancer pain, according to Tan. Additionally, research shows this technique can reduce fatigue in people with certain cancers. “This can be a very short but very powerful practice for our cancer patients,” Tan says.
Keep track of each inhale and exhale during mindful breathing.
To begin mindful breathing, sit or lie down in a safe spot free from distractions and simply breathe in and out, advises licensed clinical social worker Shiori Lange. As you continue breathing, think “in” or “one” each time you inhale and then “out” or “two” each time you exhale. Alternatively, you can repeat a mantra, such as “energize and relax,” with each complete breath. Do this exercise for 60 seconds, increasing the length of each session as you get more comfortable over time.
Beyond alleviating physical symptoms, mindful breathing can address the helplessness many people feel after a cancer diagnosis, according to Shiori Lange, a licensed clinical social worker at the Simms/Mann UCLA Center for Integrative Oncology in Los Angeles who was not involved in the study. “Mindful breathing really helps to center [yourself] and [give you] a sense of control,” she says.
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