Go GREEN for Reduced Anxiety

Instead of viewing the world through rose colored glasses, try green! At the 2022 American Society of Anesthesiology 2022 annual meeting, a study showed that eyeglasses with green lenses, when worn for 4 hours a day for 2 weeks, “may help ease pain-related anxiety associated with fibromyalgia.” Why? The color green is relaxing and has healing powers that, when combined with proper sleep, exercise, and relaxation, may help those with fibromyalgia, and potentially others with chronic pain.

In the United States alone, fibromyalgia affects approximately 4 million people. Although the study was small—34 fibromyalgia sufferers wearing eyeglasses with either blue, green, or clear lenses—those in the green group were the only ones who experienced reduced anxiety levels. While the other groups reported no anxiety reduction, the green glasses group not only said they felt better, but at the end of the study asked to keep the glasses! They also took fewer opioids than the other 2 groups, indicating that their pain was controlled.

 

Read the press release.

Other Categories:

• fibromyalgia

• research/study