Joining a Clinical Trial on Meditation To Help PsA Pain

I have lived with psoriatic arthritis now going on 10 years. It has progressed over those years with the areas infected hurting more and more.

Every day is a balancing act of trying to do things. I want to do things like housework, working in my flower beds, and my favorite hobby, fishing. There are days that my pain is so much that there is no way I can do any of those. I cannot even stand in one place long enough to get anything done. My only choice on those days is to lay in my bed on a heating pad or sitting in my recliner with it pressed against my back. Those days really bring me down. I had once participated in a clinical trial for psoriasis. It went fairly well so my thought became why not join one for psoriatic arthritis if one was available.

How did I go about finding a clinical trial?

Since I had already been in a clinical trial, I thought I would start out trying to find a clinical trial on PsA where the other one was. Unfortunately, there was nothing. I had also been a patient consultant for a clinical trial before it started at another place. I checked there. To my surprise, I was told there was. It was a clinical trial about to start on using meditation to see if it would help those living with psoriatic arthritis pain. I had tried meditation but not for that reason in particular. What could it hurt right? That was exactly my thought although I didn't put much trust in it working.

How was my first meeting with the therapist?

Since the clinical trial was totally online, I did not have to travel which is always good with having psoriatic arthritis. The first day was all about meeting the therapist. She would be with me throughout the clinical trial. I found her friendly and she attentively listened to what I was telling her concerning my journey. We did not try any meditation on that first day. It was just her and I talking with her asking if I had tried meditation before. At the end of the conversation, she told me what to expect and other relevant information that she thought I needed.

How was the first day of pain meditation?

I have to be honest. The thought of the meditation working to ease my pain was doubtful in my mind, but I followed along with what she said. It was the craziest thing. I could feel some relief from my pain in my back. The feeling of wind passing across my face from an open window took my mind off of the pain I was feeling. I had this window open many days sitting in my office. She told me to focus on anything other than the pain. Then use that focal point, in this case the wind, to wash over the pain and remove it. To my amazement it worked. It did not work each day but even one day of it working was a benefit to me. One less day to be in pain is a gift.

Do I still meditate for my psoriatic arthritis?

Sadly, the day came that the clinical trial ended. For me it was a success. I thanked the therapist for taking the time to work with me. I was not sure it was possible but I asked if I could have a recording of her meditation so that I could use it for myself. She actually emailed me a copy of her and I doing a session so I could listen to it again and again. I still use it to this day. If you find yourself in pain every day from psoriatic arthritis I urge you to look for something like meditation to help ease the pain.