Effect of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on Patients With Chronic Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Vincenzo Damico, Margherita Milani, Liana Murano
Pain Management Nursing March 12, 2025 DOI: 10.1016/j.pmn.2025.02.010 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 149 |
| Population | Chronic pain patients at one pain management clinic in a general hospital |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction |
| Duration | 8-week intervention, 13-month follow-up |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Chronic pain Psychoeducation |
| Citations | 3 |
| Registration | NCT05843409 |
| Key findings | MBSR plus usual care led to significantly greater reductions in pain intensity and pain interference at 6 and 13 months compared with usual care alone. |
Abstract
Chronic pain management includes treatment with the use of opioids, electrical stimulation and acupuncture. However, traditional understanding of chronic pain has recently been challenged in light of evidence supporting a key role of psycho-social factors and central sensitization in this population. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), focuses on increasing awareness and acceptance of moment-to-moment experiences including difficult emotions and physical discomfort. To examine the effects of a MBSR on chronic pain patients. A two-arm, blinding randomized controlled clinical trial with repeated-measures design. One pain management clinic in a general hospital. Chronic pain patients (N = 149 patients). The patients were randomly allocated to either psychoeducation (intervention group) or usual care (control group) (N = 75 vs 74 patients per group). The randomization was minimized, taking into account the imbalance between the groups over a number of prognostic clinical and demographic factors. The intervention included an 8-week MBSR program (2 hours per week) in a group format and the MBSR program was performed 2 times (1-2 months after enrollment and 7-8 months after enrollment). Study outcomes included Chronic pain (pain intensity and pain interference) assessed with Brief Pain Inventory (primary outcomes), and other secondary outcomes (i.e., quality of life, adherence to the intervention, mindfulness and self-awareness and drug assumption). We examined the differences at baseline (clinical-demographic data collected at enrollment), at 6 (T1) and 13 months (T2) between the intervention and control groups by means of chi-square and independent samples t tests. Normally distributed measurement data were represented by means and standard deviations. Participants in the intervention group revealed significantly greater reductions on impact of chronic pain in terms of pain intensity (worst pain in the last 24 hours, p < .001; pain right now, p < .001) and in terms of pain interference (interference with mood, p = .002; interference with normal work, p = .043; interference with relationship with other people, p = .036) at T1, and in terms of pain intensity (worst pain in the last 24 hours, p < .001; pain on average, p =. 013; pain right now, p < .001) and in terms of pain interference (interference with mood, p < .001; Interference with sleep, p < .001) at T2. A significant difference emerged in the perceived quality of life, between two groups at T2 (55.9 vs 58.7, t(133) = - 2.053, p = .044). Our study added values on the benefits of patients-focused MBSR to treatment of chronic pain. Future research can evaluate its long-term effects for patients of chronic pain with diverse socio-demographic and pain-related characteristics in a greater sample. Italian Clinical Trial Registry (NCT05843409). Recruitment: April 2023 to April 2024.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment | 2003 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 41 |
| Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2000 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 145 |
| Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults | 2008 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 139 |
| Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students | 2007 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 40 |
| Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients | 2004 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 73 |
Citations in the library
Cites 13
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction as a Stress Management Intervention for Healthy Individuals Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine July 22, 2014
- Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy for Psychological Distress, Fear of Cancer Recurrence, Fatigue, Spiritual Wellbeing and Quality of Life in Patients with Breast Cancer - a Randomized Control Trial. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management February 24, 2020
- Mindfulness for pain, depression, anxiety, and quality of life in people with spinal cord injury: a systematic review BMC Neurology January 21, 2020
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Residents: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of General Internal Medicine April 2018
and 8 more in the library