Mindfulness Meditation for Chronic Pain: A Systematic Review
RAND Corporation eBooks January 1, 2016 Margaret Maglione, Susanne Hempel, Alicia Ruelaz Maher et al. 6 citations
A systematic review of randomized controlled trials found that mindfulness meditation interventions, used alone or alongside other treatments, may reduce chronic pain in adults. The evidence suggests modest improvements in pain severity and physical function compared to usual care or no treatment, though the certainty of the evidence is limited by small sample sizes and variability across studies. No serious safety concerns were reported. The review highlights the need for larger, more rigorous trials to confirm these findings and better understand which patients benefit most.