Mindfulness
January 1, 2023
Eric L Garland, R Lynae Roberts, Adam W. Hanley et al.
14 citations
A new measure, the Mindful Reappraisal of Pain Sensations Scale (MRPS), was developed and validated across multiple studies. The scale captures how mindfulness helps people shift from catastrophic pain appraisals to viewing pain as a harmless sensory signal. In samples of opioid-treated chronic pain patients, the MRPS showed a single-factor structure and good convergent and divergent validity. Mindfulness training via Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) increased MRPS scores more than supportive psychotherapy. Changes in MRPS scores statistically mediated the effect of MORE on reducing chronic pain severity through 9-month follow-up, indicating the MRPS measures a key analgesic mechanism involving attentional disengagement and interoceptive exposure.
Pain
February 1, 2025
James Gerhart, John W Burns, Beverly E Thorn et al.
3 citations
For chronic low back pain, cognitive therapy, mindfulness-based stress reduction, and behavior therapy all appear to work by progressively weakening the link between pain-related thoughts or pain spikes and later outcomes, rather than by directly changing those mechanisms. In a study of 521 people, associations between treatment mechanism variables and outcomes were strong early in treatment but became nonsignificant by the final third. This decoupling effect was similar across the three active treatments but did not occur in treatment as usual. The findings suggest that by midtreatment, participants may learn that maladaptive thoughts or pain increases need not worsen their subsequent experience.
Breast cancer research and treatment
July 1, 2025
Nicole A Arrato, Mary Scott Soo, Anava A Wren et al.
1 citation
Providing a loving-kindness meditation (LKM) intervention during core-needle breast biopsy (CNBB) significantly improved women's adherence to recommended breast imaging over the following 18 months. Among 120 women randomly assigned to LKM, music, or usual care during biopsy, adherence was 90% for the LKM group, compared to 71% for music and 69% for usual care. Women in the LKM group were 3.9 times more likely to adhere than those receiving usual care, and 3.5 times more likely than those in the music group. Music did not significantly improve adherence over usual care. The positive effect of LKM held regardless of whether biopsy results were abnormal or benign. Offering LKM during CNBB is a simple, scalable approach that may boost long-term screening compliance.
Journal of Pain Research
January 1, 2025
Martha O Kenney, Alexander T Limkakeng, Timothy N Ochoa et al.
1 citation
Barriers to a clinical trial of ketamine for acute sickle cell disease pain include lack of standardized protocols (50.6% of clinicians) and provider attitudes about ketamine (32.5%). Patients cited trust in providers and potential health benefits as facilitators but worried about safety, confidentiality, and time commitment. Clinicians showed varied comfort with ketamine, differing between sickle cell and emergency medicine specialists. Successful implementation requires multidisciplinary approaches, transparent communication, strong clinical frameworks, and patient-centered trial designs.
Journal of holistic nursing : official journal of the American Holistic Nurses' Association
September 1, 2005
James W Carson, Francis J Keefe, Thomas R Lynch et al.
An 8-week loving-kindness meditation program reduced pain, anger, and psychological distress in patients with chronic low back pain. In a pilot study, 43 participants were randomly assigned to the meditation program or standard care. Those in the loving-kindness group showed significant improvements in pain and psychological distress at post-treatment and follow-up, while the usual care group showed no changes. Daily data indicated that more practice on a given day was linked to lower pain that day and lower anger the next day. The results suggest the program can be beneficial for managing persistent low back pain.