Does mindfulness meditation improve chronic pain? A systematic review

The objective was to evaluate the effects of mindfulness meditation in chronic pain. Recent findings A systematic search of four databases identified 534 citations; 13 Randomised controlled trials satisfied the inclusion criteria. Mindfulness meditation significantly reduced depression [Standardised mean difference (SMD) −0.28; 95% confidence interval (CI) −0.53, −0.03; P = 0.03; I2 = 0%]. For affective pain (SMD −0.13; 95% CI −0.42, 0.16; I2 = 0%), sensory pain (SMD −0.02; 95% CI −0.31, 0.27; I2 = 0%) and anxiety (SMD −0.16; 95% CI −0.47, 0.15; I2 = 0%) there was a trend towards benefit with intervention. Quality of life items on mental health (SMD 0.65; 95% CI −0.27, 1.58; I2 = 69%), physical health (SMD 0.08; 95% CI −0.40, 0.56; I2 = 32%) and overall score (SMD 0.86, 95% CI −0.06, 1.78; I2 = 88%) improved with mindfulness meditation. Summary Mindfulness meditation has most prominent effect on psychological aspects on living with chronic pain, improving associated depression and quality of life.
Source: Current Opinion in Obstetrics and Gynecology - Category: OBGYN Tags: WOMEN'S HEALTH: Edited by Joseph Aquilina Source Type: research