Complementary Approaches for Military Women with Chronic Pelvic Pain: A Randomized Trial.
Carol D Crisp, Robert Baldi, Matthew A. Fuller, Eduardo Abreu, Andrea G Nackley
Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine January 2023 DOI: 10.1089/jicm.2022.0616 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 41 |
| Population | Active duty women aged 21-55 years with chronic pelvic pain at Mountain Home, Idaho |
| Interventions | Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) Healthy lifestyle (HL) |
| Duration | 6-week intervention |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Cytokines Healthy lifestyle Military Pain |
| Registration | NCT04104542 |
| Key findings | Active-duty women with chronic pelvic pain who received MBSR showed reduced pain interference and depression, while those in the healthy lifestyle group showed reduced depression but no change in pain. Both groups had altered circulating cytokine levels; the authors conclude MBSR is an effective behavioral treatment for this population and support larger randomized trials. |
Abstract
Introduction: Active duty (AD) women suffer with chronic pelvic pain (CPP) while providers tackle diagnoses and treatments to keep them functional without contributing to the opioid epidemic. The purpose of this randomized trial was to determine the effectiveness of noninvasive, self-explanatory mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) or self-paced healthy lifestyle (HL) interventions on CPP in AD women.
Methods: A 6-week, interventional prospective study with AD women aged 21-55 years at Mountain Home (MTHM), Idaho, was conducted. Women were randomly assigned to MBSR (N = 21) or HL (N = 20) interventions. The primary outcome was pain perception. The secondary outcomes were depression and circulating cytokine levels.
Results: Women in the MBSR group exhibited reduced pain interference (p < 0.01) and depression (p < 0.05) alongside decreased interleukin (IL)-4 (p < 0.05), IL-6 (p < 0.05), eotaxin (p < 0.05), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (p = 0.06), and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) (p < 0.01) and increased vascular endothelial growth factor (p < 0.05). Women in the HL group did not have changes in pain; however, they did exhibit reduced depression (p < 0.05) alongside decreased granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (p < 0.05) and increased tumor necrosis factor alpha (p < 0.05), stromal cell-derived factor-1 (p < 0.01), and IL-1ra (p < 0.01).
Conclusions: AD women receiving MBSR or HL had reduced depression scores and altered circulating cytokine levels; however, only those receiving MBSR had reduced pain perception. Findings support MBSR as an effective and viable behavioral treatment for AD women suffering from CPP and provide premise for larger randomized controlled studies. Clinical
Trial Registration: MOCHI-An RCT of mindfulness as a treatment for CPP in AD Women NCT04104542 (September 26, 2019).
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
Cited by 2
Cites 5
- Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Assessment February 29, 2008
- A Comparison of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy Vs Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for the Treatment of Provoked Vestibulodynia in a Hospital Clinic Setting. The Journal of Sexual Medicine June 1, 2019
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Military Women With Chronic Pelvic Pain: A Feasibility Study. Military Medicine September 2016
- The role of mindfulness in positive reappraisal. Explore 2009
- Effect of mindfulness based stress reduction on immune function, quality of life and coping in women newly diagnosed with early stage breast cancer. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity August 2008