Complementary Therapies in Medicine
December 1, 2025
Adam W. Hanley, Yoshio Nakamura, Robert R Edwards et al.
Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a prevalent chronic pain condition that significantly impairs quality of life and is often treated with interventions that carry risks or provide limited relief. Reiki, a non-invasive complementary therapy, has shown early promise for pain management but lacks rigorous evaluation among American adults with KOA. This study evaluated the specific efficacy of Reiki and...
Frontiers in Psychology
2025
Diane Joss, Joseph Rosansky, Paula Gardiner et al.
1 citation
Adverse childhood experiences (ACE) are transdiagnostic developmental risk factors for various mental and physical health issues, including Opioid Use Disorder (OUD). Existing research demonstrated ACE not only affects the onset, severity, and comorbidity of disorders, but also affects treatment responses. To investigate whether and how ACE modulates treatment effects of Mindfulness Based...
The Clinical Journal of Pain
February 1, 2024
Myrella Paschali, Asimina Lazaridou, Jason Sadora et al.
25 citations
This systematic review aimed to compile existing evidence examining the effects of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) for chronic low back pain (CLBP). CLBP leads to millions of disabled individuals in the United States each year. Current pharmacologic treatments are only modestly effective and may present long-term safety issues. MBIs, which have an excellent safety profile, have been...
Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews
November 1, 2023
Sophia Linguiti, Jacob W Vogel, Valerie J Sydnor et al.
15 citations
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is increasingly used to non-invasively study the acute impact of psychedelics on the human brain. While fMRI is a promising tool for measuring brain function in response to psychedelics, it also has known methodological challenges. We conducted a systematic review of fMRI studies examining acute responses to experimentally administered psychedelics...
The journal of pain
October 1, 2022
Robert H. Dworkin, Brian T Anderson, Nick Andrews et al.
22 citations
Psychedelic substances have played important roles in diverse cultures, and ingesting various plant preparations to evoke altered states of consciousness has been described throughout recorded history. Accounts of the subjective effects of psychedelics typically focus on spiritual and mystical-type experiences, including feelings of unity, sacredness, and transcendence. Over the past 2 decades,...
Pain Practice
September 1, 2022
Tara D. Sarkar, Robert R Edwards, Nancy Baker
Abstract There is an urgent need for safe and effective nonpharmacologic approaches to treat chronic knee pain in older adults. Although virtual reality (VR) has shown some effectiveness for acute pain, there is limited evidence on the effects of VR on chronic pain particularly with older adult populations. This single application, within‐subject pilot study evaluated the feasibility and...
Pain medicine (Malden, Mass.)
October 1, 2020
Michael P Berry, Jacqueline Lutz, Zev Schuman-Olivier et al.
Self-compassion meditation, which involves compassion toward the self in moments of suffering, shows promise for improving pain-related functioning, but its underlying mechanisms are unknown. This longitudinal, exploratory pilot study investigated the effects of a brief (eight contact hours, two weeks of home practice) self-compassion training on pain-related brain processing in chronic low...
Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics
January 14, 2020
Rebecca Erwin Wells, Elizabeth K. Seng, Robert R Edwards et al.
74 citations
Introduction: Migraine is the second leading cause of disability worldwide, yet many patients are unable to tolerate, benefit from, or afford pharmacological treatment options. Non-pharmacological migraine therapies exist, especially to reduce opioid use, which represents a significant unmet need. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) have potential as a non-pharmacological treatment for...
Psychopharmacology
October 2011
Una D McCann, Robert R Edwards, Michael T Smith et al.
(±)3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is a popular recreational drug that has potential to damage brain serotonin (5-HT) neurons in humans. Brain 5-HT neurons play a role in pain modulation, yet little is known about long-term effects of MDMA on pain function. Notably, MDMA users have been shown to have altered sleep, a phenomenon that can lead to altered pain modulation. This study...