Like a gazillion other people, I went through several years of chronic lower back pain. Chronic meant my patient wife had to hear about it too often. It wasn’t enough to keep me in bed, just enough to be a nagging distraction. And right when I thought it had finally disappeared, it would flare up again. Either from something like twisting the wrong way reaching for something on a top shelf or for no apparent reason at all.
My physical therapist, Mikki, made heroic efforts to help me understand that the pain I was experiencing was actually in my brain. In other words, my body was sending signals that my brain has chosen to interpret as pain even when there is no apparent threat. So, it stands to reason that part of the solution to my chronic pain lied in making a fundamental change to the way my mind interpreted the data it received. While this explanation made intellectual sense to me, I still found myself picturing the pain as residing in my back.
Recent studies (L.A. Times, September 2013) have shown that there are clear differences that distinguish the brains of those with chronic pain from those without such pain. Chronic pain sufferers consistently show reduced volume in the brain's gray matter, the cortical structures key to perception, movement, memory and reasoning. Researchers have also shown that compared to healthy patients, the brains of chronic pain sufferers are wired differently in ways that suggest that physical sensations and emotional responses are bound more tightly together.
I have reduced gray matter! Who knew?
Well, actually Buddhism explains that the physical and spiritual aspects of our lives are completely inseparable and of equal importance. This is expressed in the Japanese expression "shikishin funi" meaning the oneness of body and mind.
In a 2003 article, Ikeda explained, "Our inner mental state also affects the physical functioning of our bodies. The most dramatic manifestations of this are laughter and tears, physical signs of our inner feelings. Mental or psychological stress has been linked to a range of illness from skin disorders, allergies, asthma and ulcers to cancer. Depression and hopelessness lower the body's resistance, making us vulnerable to a variety of afflictions. On the other hand, a positive determination to overcome illness can "inspire" our organs and even individual cells toward health."
I eventually realized that I had tremendous power in my mind to influence the effectiveness of medical treatments. As Ikeda has said, "The key to battling illness lies in summoning a vigorous life-force and a positive fighting spirit. This brings out the full effectiveness of a curative treatment."