Doctors are Prescribing "Mindfulness" for Fibromyalgia
Mindfulness: How did it start?
Jon Kabat-Zinn, who was a meditator and molecular biologist, developed mindfulness. In 1979, he combined the 2 fields he was in. He applied the approaches through a mindfulness-themed program for stress reduction for patients who were in chronic pain at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. He was expecting that his ideas were not to be taken seriously.
However, physicians at the hospital accepted it and felt glad to transfer their patients to his program. His program was supervised, strict and 10 weeks long, that focused on everyday meditation and yoga practice. This program was made for patients who experienced much stress, failed all the treatments prescribed, and suffered from chronic illnesses.
After the first trial, many clinics and doctors supported this approach. Zinn’s method was more expensive and supervised, especially because most health insurances did not cover it.
