Brief Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Acute and Chronic Pain: A Systematic Review.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to systematically review evidence on the effects of brief mindfulness-based interventions (BMBIs) on acute and chronic pain outcomes in humans.
Results Summary
The review found limited and inconclusive evidence overall, but BMBIs delivered by a provider and lasting more than 5 minutes showed some promise in managing acute pain. More rigorous large-scale studies are needed to recommend BMBIs as a first-line treatment for pain.
Population
Clinical (chronic pain) and nonclinical (experimentally-induced pain) samples.
Effective Dosage
Total contact time <1.5 hours, with participant-provider contact ranging from 3 to 80 minutes.
Duration
Varied by study, not specified in abstract.
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) | decrease | pain management | - | - | are effective | #1 |
Brief MBIs (BMBIs) | neutral | safe treatment of pain | - | - | could prove to be more feasible and pragmatic | #2 |
BMBIs delivered by a provider and lasting more than 5 min | decrease | management of acute pain | - | - | showed some promise | #3 |
OBJECTIVES: Nonpharmacologic approaches have been characterized as the preferred means to treat chronic noncancer pain by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There is evidence that mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are effective for pain management, yet the typical MBI may not be feasible across many clinical settings due to resource and time constraints. Brief MBIs (BMBIs) could prove to be more feasible and pragmatic for safe treatment of pain. The aim of the present article is to systematically review evidence of BMBI's effects on acute and chronic pain outcomes in humans. METHODS: A literature search was conducted using PubMed, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar and by examining the references of retrieved articles. Articles written in English, published up to August 16, 2017, and reporting on the effects of a BMBI (i.e., total contact time <1.5 h, with mindfulness as the primary therapeutic technique) on a pain-related outcome (i.e., pain outcome, pain affect, pain-related function/quality of life, or medication-related outcome) were eligible for inclusion. Two authors independently extracted the data and assessed risk of bias. RESULTS: Twenty studies meeting eligibility criteria were identified. Studies used qualitative (n = 1), within-group (n = 3), or randomized controlled trial (n = 16) designs and were conducted with clinical (n = 6) or nonclinical (i.e., experimentally-induced pain; n = 14) samples. Of the 25 BMBIs tested across the 20 studies, 13 were delivered with audio/video recording only, and 12 were delivered by a provider (participant-provider contact ranged from 3 to 80 min). Existing evidence was limited and inconclusive overall. Nevertheless, BMBIs delivered in a particular format-by a provider and lasting more than 5 min-showed some promise in the management of acute pain. CONCLUSIONS: More rigorous large scale studies conducted with pain populations are needed before unequivocally recommending BMBI as a first-line treatment for acute or chronic pain.