Mind-body practices, interoception and pain: a scoping review of behavioral and neural correlates.
Stephanie Voss, Daniel A Boachie, Norberto Nieves, Neha P Gothe
Annals of medicine 2023 DOI: 10.1080/07853890.2023.2275661 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Scoping review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Yoga Chronic pain Interoception Mind-body practices |
| Key findings | The authors argue that interoceptive techniques, particularly attending to and accepting bodily sensations, appear to be key therapeutic mechanisms by which mind-body practices such as yoga reduce chronic pain. They note that only three studies directly linked yoga, interoception, and pain, and recommend that future yoga-based interventions measure interoceptive outcomes and integrate interoceptive strategies. |
Abstract
Chronic pain is a significant source of suffering in the United States, and many individuals increasingly turn towards yoga for pain relief. However, little is known regarding how yoga improves pain. Herein we seek to examine the scope of the literature linking mind-body practices, pain and interoception; an emerging mechanism by which yoga may improve chronic pain. This scoping review followed the five-stage methodological framework proposed by Arksey and O'Malley to examine behavioral and neural correlates of interoception in mind-body practices and pain. A broad search of the Pubmed, CINAHL, SportDiscus, Scopus, PsychInfo, and SocIndex databases was conducted, utilizing three clusters of search terms: (1) interoceptive terms, (2) mind-body terms, and (3) pain terms. A combined total of 690 articles were screened, and 24 findings included for analysis. Sixteen studies examined interoceptive outcomes in response to mind-body practices for chronic pain, and 8 studies examined interoceptive outcomes in response to evoked-pain tasks in experienced mind-body practitioners. Only three studies linked yoga, interoception and pain. This review relied on the broader mind-body literature to inform our analyses as the literature examining yoga, pain and interoception remains limited. Interoceptive techniques including attending to and acceptance of bodily sensations, appear to be key therapeutic mechanisms in mind-body practices for chronic pain. Future yoga-based interventions would benefit examining interoceptive outcomes and integrating interoceptive strategies to facilitate the pain-modulating benefits of yoga.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical populations | 2003 | Review | |
| Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects | 2007 | Review | |
| Mindfulness Interventions | 2016 | Review | |
| Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation | 2017 | Review | |
| Mindfulness and acceptance: expanding the cognitive-behavioral tradition | 2005 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 6
- Interoception-Based Yoga for Chronic Pain: A Pilot Feasibility Study. Global Advances in Integrative Medicine and Health 2025
- How Bud Craig's Insights Reshape the Research on Pain and Mind-Body Therapies. Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences October 23, 2024
- Minding Well-Being: Validation of the Mindfulness-Based Strategic Awareness Training (MBSAT) for Non-Clinical Populations Mindfulness May 20, 2025
- Yoga and Meditation Improve Mental Health, with Outdoor Settings Offering Additional Benefits Where Differences Exist: A Systematic Review Ecopsychology September 17, 2026
- Randomized controlled trial of neurofeedback mindfulness meditation as a practice for migraine management. Journal of Clinical Neuroscience December 1, 2025
and 1 more in the library
Cites 26
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- Interoception, contemplative practice, and health Frontiers in Psychology June 9, 2015
- Pain Attenuation through Mindfulness is Associated with Decreased Cognitive Control and Increased Sensory Processing in the Brain Cerebral Cortex December 15, 2011
- Effects of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on Body Awareness in Patients with Chronic Pain and Comorbid Depression Frontiers in Psychology June 30, 2016
- Mindfulness meditation is related to sensory‐affective uncoupling of pain in trained novice and expert practitioners European Journal of Pain April 20, 2020
and 21 more in the library