Research on mindfulness meditation for nerve/chronic pain

⇒ Zeidan, F. and Vago, D. R. (2016). Mindfulness meditation–based pain relief: a mechanistic account. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, vol. 1373, no. 1, pp. 114-27, doi: 10.1111/nyas.13153. Full text.

Pain is a multidimensional experience that involves interacting sensory, cognitive, and affective factors, rendering the treatment of chronic pain challenging and financially burdensome. Further, the widespread use of opioids to treat chronic pain has led to an opioid epidemic characterized by exponential growth in opioid misuse and addiction. The staggering statistics related to opioid use highlight the importance of developing, testing, and validating fast-acting nonpharmacological approaches to treat pain.

Mindfulness meditation is a technique that has been found to significantly reduce pain in experimental and clinical settings. The present review delineates findings from recent studies demonstrating that mindfulness meditation significantly attenuates pain through multiple, unique mechanisms-an important consideration for the millions of chronic pain patients seeking narcotic-free, self-facilitated pain therapy.

⇒ Ball, E. F., et al. (2017). Does mindfulness meditation improve chronic pain? A systematic review. Current Opinion in Obstetrics and Gynecology, vol. 29, no. 6, pp. 359-66, doi: 10.1097/GCO.0000000000000417.

Purpose of review: Psychological factors are associated with chronic pain. Mindfulness meditation may ameliorate symptoms. The objective was to evaluate the effects of mindfulness meditation in chronic pain.
Recent findings: A systematic search of four databases identified 534 citations; 13 randomised controlled trials satisfied the inclusion criteria. Mindfulness meditation significantly reduced depression.
Summary: Mindfulness meditation has most prominent effect on psychological aspects on living with chronic pain, improving associated depression, and quality of life.

⇒ Majeed, M. H., et al. (2018). Mindfulness-based interventions for chronic pain: evidence and applications. Asian journal of psychiatry, no. 32, pp. 79-83, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2017.11.025.

Abstract: Chronic pain is frequently treated with opiates, which has produced an opiate addiction crisis. Several non-pharmacological treatment alternatives can help manage chronic pain. There is moderate evidence that mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) such as meditation, yoga, and stress reduction lower the perception of pain, increase mobility, improve functioning and well-being. By integrating MBIs and other therapeutic interventions in a multi-disciplinary pain management plan, clinicians can improve treatment outcomes and potentially decrease pain-related medication utilization. Highlights:
• Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have demonstrated consistent moderate success in the treatment of several chronic pain disorders.
• MBIs lower the perception of pain, increase mobility, improve functioning and well-being.
• MBI can be used as a stand-alone treatment or in conjunction with other treatment modalities.
• The advantages of MBIs include no risk of addiction and better treatment outcomes in comorbid conditions such as anxiety and depression.