Meditation is an ancient mind-body practice that can offer meaningful benefits for those living with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease and other related inherited neuropathies.

According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), meditation is practiced by around 18 million adults in the United States. While rooted in religious and spiritual traditions, meditation has evolved into a widely used practice for reducing stress, easing anxiety, and promoting calm and well-being.

Current research points to additional significant benefits of a consistent meditation practice, benefits that could meaningfully improve quality of life for people living with CMT and other inherited neuropathies.

Reduced Brain Aging

Most research on the aging brain focuses on risk factors that contribute to deteriorating brain health, rather than factors that may enhance it. A study published in Frontiers in Psychology set out to examine whether long-term meditation has the potential to reduce brain aging.

The study found that age-related gray matter loss was less pronounced in long-term meditators than in non-meditating controls. While further research is needed to determine the full potential of meditation on brain health, this study supports the hypothesis that meditation may be “brain-protective” and associated with reduced brain aging.

Improved Sleep

Around 50 to 70 million people in the United States have some form of sleep disorder. Sleep disturbances are most common among older adults and often go untreated.

A study in JAMA Internal Medicine investigated the effectiveness of meditation for older adults with moderate sleep disturbances. Participants assigned a standardized mindful awareness practice showed significant improvement in sleep quality compared to those who received only a sleep hygiene education program.

Reduced Pain

Pain management can be particularly challenging for people living with CMT. Chronic pain is a leading cause of disability in the United States, affecting tens of millions of Americans.

Mindfulness meditation has shown the ability to reduce pain in both experimental and clinical settings. A study in the Journal of Neuroscience provided evidence that mindfulness meditation produces greater pain relief and activates distinct neural mechanisms compared to a placebo, suggesting meditation works through specific brain pathways rather than expectation alone.

These findings may encourage both healthcare professionals and CMT patients to consider adding meditation to their pain management plans.

Do you practice meditation? Share your experiences on our HNF online CMT Support Community.