Relaxation and Mindfulness in Pain: A Review.
Emma Dunford, Miles Thompson DClinPsy
Reviews in pain March 2010 DOI: 10.1177/204946371000400105 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Patients with acute and chronic pain |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Relaxation shows some evidence of reducing pain in acute and chronic pain, but improvements may not persist. Mindfulness shows more limited evidence of improving psychological measures and physical functioning, with gains maintained at follow-up. Further research is needed. |
Abstract
This article reviews the existing, peer-reviewed evidence for the use of relaxation and mindfulness in both acute and chronic pain.There is some evidence that relaxation can reduce pain outcomes in both acute and chronic pain, however there is evidence that these improvements are not maintained over time.More limited research suggests that mindfulness can lead to improvements in psychological measures and physical functioning and these improvements appear to be maintained at follow-up.Further research is needed. Both researchers and practitioners need to be clearer on the outcomes that their techniques best facilitate and the processes which are active within them.