Mindfulness Meditation for Fibromyalgia: Mechanistic and Clinical Considerations.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to review the effectiveness and hypothesized mechanisms of mindfulness meditation in treating fibromyalgia-related outcomes.
Results Summary
Mindfulness-based interventions may effectively reduce fibromyalgia-related pain and psychological symptoms through neural, psychological, and physiological processes. Combining mindfulness with other techniques like exercise and cognitive behavioral therapy could enhance treatment efficacy.
Population
Fibromyalgia patients
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
mindfulness meditation | decrease | pain | - | - | attenuates | #1 |
mindfulness meditation | increase | mental health outcomes | - | - | improves | #2 |
mindfulness-based interventions premised on cultivating acceptance, non-attachment, and social engagement | decrease | fibromyalgia-related pain and psychological symptoms | - | - | may be most effective in decreasing | #3 |
mindfulness-based therapies | decrease | fibromyalgia-related outcomes | - | - | may alleviate | #4 |
mindfulness meditation | neutral | - | fibromyalgia patients | - | may provide an effective complementary treatment approach | #5 |
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Fibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by widespread pain and a spectrum of psychological comorbidities, rendering treatment difficult and often a financial burden. Fibromyalgia is a complicated chronic pain condition that requires a multimodal therapeutic approach to optimize treatment efficacy. Thus, it has been postulated that mind-body techniques may prove fruitful in treating fibromyalgia. Mindfulness meditation, a behavioral technique premised on non-reactive sensory awareness, attenuates pain and improves mental health outcomes. However, the impact of mindfulness meditation on fibromyalgia-related outcomes has not been comprehensively characterized. The present review delineates the existing evidence supporting the effectiveness and hypothesized mechanisms of mindfulness meditation in treating fibromyalgia-related outcomes. RECENT FINDINGS: Mindfulness-based interventions premised on cultivating acceptance, non-attachment, and social engagement may be most effective in decreasing fibromyalgia-related pain and psychological symptoms. Mindfulness-based therapies may alleviate fibromyalgia-related outcomes through multiple neural, psychological, and physiological processes. Mindfulness meditation may provide an effective complementary treatment approach for fibromyalgia patients, especially when combined with other reliable techniques (exercise; cognitive behavioral therapy). However, characterizing the specific analgesic mechanisms supporting mindfulness meditation is a critical step to fostering the clinical validity of this technique. Identification of the specific analgesic mechanisms supporting mindfulness-based pain relief could be utilized to better design behavioral interventions to specifically target fibromyalgia-related outcomes.