Researchers from Penn State’s College of Medicine and the University of Wisconsin-Madison performed an innovative, initial study. Their most recent report showed that mindfulness-based approaches can be strongly effective at reducing chronic lower back pain. The clinical trial included 770 adults with moderate to severe acute back pain. It demonstrated that these participants were able to reduce their physical pain over time by increasing their cognitive processes. Our study is a testimony to mindfulness’s power. Perhaps even more surprisingly, it claims that many of its benefits can continue for as long as a year.
In this cohort, all study participants had a history of being treated with opioid medications for at least three months. The purpose was to find out whether changing how you process negative thoughts might actually lead to reduced pain. Participants engaged in deep, intentional, and evidence-based programs that were infused with mindfulness practices. They did daily body scans to evaluate their pain and participated in mindfulness group therapy or cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) two hours a day in eight-week cycles.
Study Design and Methodology
To better understand the real-world impacts of their findings, researchers enrolled a randomized, diverse set of adults suffering from persistent back pain. The eight-week program included mindfulness as well as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). One was a class that focused on giving participants the tools to take control of their pain through better thinking.
Participants learned new mindfulness techniques to practice at home, with an emphasis on redirecting negative thoughts and developing a deeper awareness of their own bodies. These practices had more to do with empowering people to take control and not be victims of pain, which is what makes life worth living.
“Mindfulness and CBT are other tools that you can add to your toolbox to increase your capacity to cope and live a meaningful life,” – Christin Veasley.
The results illustrate that opioid and non-opioid therapies do not fully resolve chronic pain. They provide indispensable means for doing so in productive and humane ways.
Long-lasting Benefits of Mindfulness
This new study demonstrates that both mindfulness and CBT provide durable benefits. These beneficial impacts can linger for months, up to a year after finishing the original eight-week program. This is particularly important considering the increased hardships that those living with chronic pain experience, including the need for opioid prescription drugs.
The senior author of the study, Eric Garland, stresses the value of these therapies. They equip people with the basic tools they need to function and thrive, despite the challenges that chronic pain naturally brings.
“These therapies aren’t a total cure, but they teach people how to develop the inner resources they need to cope with chronic pain and to live a better life,” – Eric Garland.
The study is in keeping with earlier research. For instance, a 2017 study found that mindfulness meditation trains people to process and cope with pain in a healthier way.
A Broader Application for Pain Management
The impact of this study reaches far past the world of chronic back pain alone. That’s a very important thing to note,” says Penney Cowan, co-author of the study pen and founder of the American Chronic Pain Association. The aim of pain management should be to improve quality of life, increase function and relieve suffering.
“The goal of pain management is to improve quality of life, increase function, and reduce the sense of suffering,” – Penney Cowan.
Christin Veasley further notes that the therapies evaluated in this study can be applicable across various pain conditions and severities.
“What’s important about the types of therapies, like the ones evaluated in this study, is that they can be used broadly across all pain conditions and all pain severities,” – Christin Veasley.
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