Parks, especially clean ones, are a great addition to any city neighborhood and serve as a great place to socialize and relax. Most importantly, green parks have been shown to improve quality of life and overall health in urban areas.

Specifically, a study conducted by Dr. Richard Mitchell and Frank Popham from the University of Glasgow and the University of St. Andrews found that exposure to green space increased people’s health and health related behaviors.

Although nature is not a common treatment for health problems, it may start to be incorporated in some shape or form, even if in a very minor way. Pain specialists, for instance, are finding that a more comprehensive and integrated approach to treating chronic pain is both very effective and safe. Pain management Minneapolis specialists, for example, practice a multidisciplinary approach to pain relief by incorporating conservative and nonsurgical treatment offerings, such as physical therapy, injections, medication management, psychology, and implantable devices.

The psychology aspect of pain is very important, and as this study suggests, living in close proximity to parks and green areas boosts our mental health and well-being. Other health studies also have shown that regular contact with nature can lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, speed recovery from injury and surgery, decrease stress, according to Dr. Howard Frumkin, Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, at the University of Washington School of Public Health Sciences and contributor to the American Journal of Preventative Medicine.

To learn more about a comprehensive approach to treating pain visit this pain management Minneapolis website.