For five million Americans at any given time, chronic back pain is a nightmarish disability that interferes with every aspect of their lives. While it has usually been attributed to damaged disks or other structures of the spine, new evidence points to a cycle of psychological stress, muscle tension, and fear-based avoidance of activity as the true cause for the vast majority of sufferers.

Back Sense presents a step-by-step self-treatment program for chronic back pain which integrates recent advances in medical and psychological research with mindfulness practice. The program draws upon cognitive, psychodynamic, and behavioral techniques along with mindfulness-based exercises to help patients interrupt the cycles that maintain the condition.

Responding to growing interest among psychotherapists of all theoretical orientations, this practical book provides a comprehensive introduction to mindfulness and its contemporary clinical applications. Chapters present a range of clear-cut procedures for practicing mindfulness techniques and teaching them to patients. The editors and authors--most of whom have been practicing both mindfulness and psychotherapy for at least two decades--skillfully blend clinical wisdom, research findings, the spiritual roots of mindfulness, and personal reflections on the therapists’ craft. The resulting volume is an essential resource for anyone interested in meditation and other scientifically grounded approaches to augmenting psychotherapy.

Part I offers a concise, clinically oriented introduction to mindfulness meditation and Buddhist psychology, exploring their connections to contemporary psychotherapeutic theory and practice, and what may lie beyond. Chapters in Part II shine a spotlight on the therapeutic relationship, showing how cultivating mindfulness can increase acceptance and empathy and give patients--and therapists--a new sense of emotional freedom. Part III then details innovative applications for specific problems and populations. Bringing their approaches to life with vivid case examples, contributors show how mindfulness can give the clinician additional traction in understanding and treating depression, anxiety disorders, and chronic pain. Also included is a special chapter on working with children. Following a review of relevant clinical research, Part IV outlines the historical underpinnings of mindfulness and looks ahead to the future of this fast-growing and immensely promising field.