Effectiveness of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention in the Management of Musculoskeletal Pain in Nursing Workers.
Shirlene Aparecida Lopes, Bruna Pesce Vannucchi, Marcelo Demarzo, Ângelo Geraldo José Cunha, Maria Do Patrocínio Tenório Nunes
Pain Management Nursing February 2019 DOI: 10.1016/j.pmn.2018.02.065 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Prospective, open-label, repeated-measures clinical trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 64 |
| Population | Female nursing technicians with chronic musculoskeletal pain at a Brazilian university hospital, mean age 47.01 years |
| Intervention | Adapted mindfulness program (AMP) |
| Duration | 8 weeks of weekly 60-minute sessions, with follow-up assessments at 12 weeks and reported lasting effect until the 20th week |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | The adapted mindfulness program reduced musculoskeletal symptoms, anxiety, depression, and pain catastrophizing (p < .001) and increased self-compassion and quality-of-life scores (p ≤ .04). Benefits were present at 8 weeks and remained at 12 weeks, with the authors reporting a lasting effect through the 20th week of follow-up. |
Abstract
Chronic pain is a prevalent disorder in nursing workers worldwide. Several studies have proposed measures to mitigate this critical scenario. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBI) have been found to have promising results in the treatment of this disorder. To quantify the effectiveness of an adapted mindfulness program (AMP) in the management of musculoskeletal pain (MSP) in nursing technicians of a Brazilian university hospital. This study was a clinical, prospective, open, repeated measures trial, with data collection between January and July 2015. Brazilian university hospital. Sixty-four female nursing technicians with a mean age of 47.01 years (standard deviation = 9.50) with chronic pain symptoms. Sixty-four female nursing technicians with a mean age of 47.01 years (standard deviation = 9.50) and MSP participated in this prospective study. Before the intervention (T0), scores of anxiety, depression, mindfulness, musculoskeletal complaints, pain catastrophizing, self-compassion, and perception of quality of life were quantified. These scores were reevaluated after 8 weeks (T1) and 12 weeks (T2) of weekly AMP sessions (60 minutes each). The variables were evaluated by analysis of variance for repeated measures, followed by the Bonferroni test. AMP reduced the scores of musculoskeletal symptoms, anxiety, depression, and pain catastrophizing (p < .001). A significant increase was identified in self-compassion scores and perception of quality of life in the physical, psychological, and overall assessment (p ≤ .04). Positive effects of AMP occurred at T1 and remained unchanged at T2. AMP contributed to a reduction in painful symptoms and improved the quality of life of nursing workers, with a lasting effect until the 20th week of follow-up, indicating utility as an effective strategy for the management of MSP in the group studied.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Early-stage breast and prostate cancer patients | 2003 | Pre-post intervention study | n = 59 |
| Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Community sample | 2010 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students Second-year medical students | 2003 | Prospective nonrandomized cohort-controlled study | n = 302 |
| Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Retreat participants and matched controls | 2011 | Controlled trial with wait-list control group | n = 60 |
| The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents Children aged 8-12 with ADHD and their parents | 2011 | Within-group waitlist controlled trial | n = 22 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- Factors influencing mindfulness among Jordanian nurses: A cross‐sectional study Journal of Nursing Management September 8, 2022
- Global Meditation Practices: A Literature Review. Holistic Nursing Practice
- Mindfulness enhancements predict aberrant salience reductions and improve stress management. Discover Mental Health April 8, 2025
- Mindfulness for people with chronic pain: Factors affecting engagement and suggestions for programme optimisation Health Expectations March 12, 2023
- Effects of Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Self-compassion in Health Care Professionals: a Meta-analysis Mindfulness March 5, 2020
Cites 20
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective Perspectives on Psychological Science October 14, 2011
- Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being JAMA Internal Medicine January 6, 2014
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine May 1, 2009
and 15 more in the library