Does mindfulness meditation improve chronic pain? A systematic review
Elizabeth F. Ball, Emira Nur Shafina Muhammad Sharizan, Genny Franklin, Ewelina Rogozińska
Current Opinion in Obstetrics & Gynecology December 1, 2017 DOI: 10.1097/gco.0000000000000417 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | People with chronic pain |
| Intervention | Mindfulness meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Mindfulness meditation significantly reduced depression and improved quality of life in people with chronic pain. |
Abstract
Purpose of review Psychological factors are associated with chronic pain. Mindfulness meditation may ameliorate symptoms. 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; I 2 = 0%]. For affective pain (SMD −0.13; 95% CI −0.42, 0.16; I 2 = 0%), sensory pain (SMD −0.02; 95% CI −0.31, 0.27; I 2 = 0%) and anxiety (SMD −0.16; 95% CI −0.47, 0.15; I 2 = 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; I 2 = 69%), physical health (SMD 0.08; 95% CI −0.40, 0.56; I 2 = 32%) and overall score (SMD 0.86, 95% CI −0.06, 1.78; I 2 = 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.