Numerous chronic conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and asthma, involve painful symptoms related to chronic inflammation. A study just released by University of Wisconsin-Madison neuroscientists with the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds at the Waisman Center found that mindfulness meditation reduces stress, which can exacerbate symptoms in these types of conditions. But here’s the big news: the research also revealed that meditation can reduce inflammation itself. And this is clearly important information for the countless people who can’t take, or don’t want to rely on, Big Pharma’s side-effect laden anti-inflammatory drugs.