Meditation as a Useful Chance for Chronic Pain Decrease
S. Coaccioli, G. Varrassi, R. Giorno, M. Pace, P. Sansone, D. Angelucci, A. Paladini, Fiorenzo Moscatelli, A. Messina, Vincenzo Monda, Giovanni Messina, Marcellino Monda, C. Aurilio
May 31, 2016 DOI: 10.4172/2378-5756.1000369 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 60 |
| Population | Subjects from Thailand living in Italy with chronic pain due to osteoarthritis of the knees and low back pain, following only complementary medicine |
| Intervention | Meditation |
| Duration | 5 consecutive days |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Meditation experts with >10 years of practice reported a significant decrease in pain after five consecutive days of meditation, whereas those with <3 years of practice did not show a significant reduction. |
Abstract
Study
Background: The aim of this study was the investigation the role of meditation in a cohort of Italy resident subjects coming from Thailand, following only complementary medicine.
Methods: The cohort of subjects has been examined (60 subjects) by the visual analogue scale (VAS) scale for pain measurement. The subjects have been divided in two groups: experts (>10 years) and Lower experts in meditation (<3 years). All the subjects were affected by chronic pain due to osteoarthritis of the knees and low back pain.
Results: 28 subjects with chronic pain reported a mean basal VAS of 5.1 ± 1.8. After 5 consecutive days of meditation, the expert in meditation reported a significant pain decreasing (p<0.01) (VAS 3.0 ± 0.5) compared to the basal evaluation, while the lower experts in meditation reported a not significant decreasing of pain.
Conclusions: Meditation is nowadays a practice that should be highly recommended within a nonpharmacological approach for chronic pain therapy. This study it is further evidence that meditation might be a valuable strategy for chronic pain patients.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Undergraduate students | 2006 | Observational cohort | |
| Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders Patients with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder with or without agoraphobia | 1992 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Long-term Buddhist practitioners and controls | 2004 | Observational cohort |
Citations in the library
Cites 9
- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- Effects of Brief and Sham Mindfulness Meditation on Mood and Cardiovascular Variables The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine July 28, 2010
- Buddha's Brain: Neuroplasticity and Meditation [In the Spotlight] IEEE Signal Processing Magazine 2008
- Meditation as an intervention in stress reactivity. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 1976
- Arousal vs. relaxation: a comparison of the neurophysiological and cognitive correlates of Vajrayana and Theravada meditative practices. PLoS One 2014
and 4 more in the library