Highlights
- •We performed a randomized trial on the effects of meditation versus self-care exercise in chronic neck pain.
- •Meditation led to superior pain relief and decreased pain-related bothersomeness. Meditation had no effect on functional disability.
- •We conclude that meditation may support chronic pain patients in pain reduction and pain coping.
Abstract
Chronic neck pain is a common medical complaint partly mediated by psychosocial distress
and having a high socioeconomic impact. There is preliminary evidence that stress
reduction by meditation might be beneficial in chronic pain syndromes. We aimed to
evaluate the effectiveness of an 8-week meditation program (jyoti meditation) in patients
with chronic neck pain by means of a randomized clinical trial. Eighty-nine patients
(aged 49.7 ± 10.5 years, 73 female) with chronic neck pain who scored >40 mm on a
100-mm visual analog scale and had concomitant increased perceived stress were randomized
to an 8-week meditation program (jyoti meditation) with weekly 90-minute classes (n = 45)
or to a home-based exercise program (n = 44) with a wait list offer for meditation.
Both groups were instructed to practice at home. Outcomes were assessed at baseline
and after 8 weeks. Primary outcome measure was change of mean pain at rest (visual
analog scale score) from baseline to week 8. Secondary outcomes included pain at motion,
functional disability, pain-related bothersomeness, perceived stress, quality of life,
and psychological outcomes. Patients had neck pain for a mean of 11 years. Eighteen
patients in the meditation group and 16 patients in the exercise group were lost to
follow-up. Meditation training significantly reduced pain when compared to the exercise
group after 8 weeks (reduction of 45.5 ± 23.3 mm to 21.6 ± 17.2 mm in the meditation
group, and 43.8 ± 22.0 mm to 37.7 ± 21.5 mm in the exercise group; mean difference:
13.2 mm [95% confidence interval: 2.1, 24.4; P = .02]). Pain-related bothersomeness decreased more in the meditation group (group
difference 11.0 mm [95% confidence interval: 1.0, 21.0; P = .03]). No significant treatment effects were found for pain at motion, psychological
scores, and quality of life, although the meditation group showed nonsignificant greater
improvements compared to the exercise group. In conclusion, meditation may support
chronic pain patients in pain reduction and pain coping. Further well-designed studies
including more active control comparisons and longer-term follow-up are warranted.
Perspective
This article presents the results of a randomized controlled trial on the clinical
effects of an 8-week meditation program or self-care exercise in patients with chronic
neck pain. Meditation reduced pain at rest but not disability and might be a useful
treatment option for pain management of chronic neck pain.
Key words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: November 03, 2014
Accepted:
October 21,
2014
Received in revised form:
October 12,
2014
Received:
April 13,
2014
Footnotes
This trial is registered at German Clinical Trials Register: DRKS00000373.
This study was supported by grants from the Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung and the Karl and Veronica Carstens Stiftung, Germany.
The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
Identification
Copyright
© 2015 American Pain Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
