Studies show imagery, meditation can help with pain

After having two children, and practically missing out on the (much needed) epidural with my second, I have tons of respect for women who labor without pain relief. ("I don't know how they do it!" I commented to my doctor after my youngest was born.) As Los Angeles Times writer Shari Roan mentions on Booster Shots today, what likely helps these moms-to-be get by is their belief that you can "think your way past the pain." In her entry, she discusses two new studies that show guided imagery and meditation can indeed help people better cope with pain.