Pain, mindfulness, and spirituality: A randomized controlled trial comparing effects of mindfulness and relaxation on pain-related outcomes in migraineurs.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to compare the effectiveness of standardized mindfulness, spiritualized mindfulness, and simple relaxation in reducing pain-related stress among migraineurs.
Results Summary
Standardized mindfulness significantly reduced pain-related stress compared to simple relaxation, while spiritualized mindfulness showed similar outcomes to standardized mindfulness, with spirituality enhancing mindful awareness.
Population
Predominantly college students with migraines (107 participants, 74 completers).
Effective Dosage
Daily practice for 2 weeks (specific duration per session not specified).
Duration
2 weeks
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
standardized mindfulness | decrease | pain-related stress | migraineurs, predominantly college students | - | significantly reduced | #1 |
standardized mindfulness | increase | pain management | migraineurs, predominantly college students | - | providing modest support for the utility | #2 |
spiritualized mindfulness | no change | pain-related outcomes | migraineurs, predominantly college students | - | were similar to those of standardized mindfulness | #3 |
spirituality | increase | mindful awareness | migraineurs, predominantly college students | - | did appear to enhance | #4 |
In order to examine mindfulness as an intervention for pain, 107 migraineurs, predominantly college students, were randomly assigned to brief training in standardized mindfulness, spiritualized mindfulness, and simple relaxation instructions. After 2 weeks of daily practice, participants completed the cold-pressor task while practicing their assigned technique, and their experience of the task was assessed. Among the 74 study-completers, standardized mindfulness led to significantly reduced pain-related stress relative to simple relaxation, providing modest support for the utility of mindfulness in pain management. Pain-related outcomes in the spiritualized mindfulness condition were similar to those of standardized mindfulness, though spirituality did appear to enhance mindful awareness.