SOS for back pain

Q:

My back has really been bothering me recently, and I’m interested in finding natural remedies to ease the ache. A friend who’s into meditation suggested I try listening to a “singing bowl.” What is this, and can it really help me?

A:

Your friend is right! Research reveals that the low-frequency sound waves emitted by Tibetan or Himalayan singing bowls—which are played by moving a wooden mallet around the bowl’s rim to produce a resonating, gong-like sound—can lead to a state of deep relaxation in the brain and body that provides relief from a range of painful conditions, including fibromyalgia, neck pain and back pain. In fact, a study conducted at the University of California at San Diego found that pain levels dropped by up to 63% in participants after a single singing bowl meditation session. What’s more, their tension levels dropped by 89%.

You can find free soothing tracks by searching for “singing bowl meditation” on YouTube. Study participants garnered benefits simply by lying on a yoga mat, relaxing and listening.

A You’re not alone with this problem, and it can do more than make you forget your questions: A University of Michigan study found that nervousness at a doctor’s visit decreases the amount of information you retain, so you may not remember what your doctors tells you.

Jotting down your questions is smart, but other tricks can also help. The Michigan scientists found that patients who listened to an audioinstructed breathing exercise or meditation (like those on the free app Insight Timer) before a doctor’s visit felt calmer and retained more information. You may also want to try applying lavender essential oil to your wrists 20 minutes before your visit—a strategy that increases calming brain waves to lower cortisol by 70%. Finally, ask your doctor or nurse to write down key points for you after your appointment.

My physical is coming up. I get

nervous, so I wrote down my questions ahead of time. But is there anything else

I can do?