Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Pain

Mindfulness-Based Interventions can be effective for pain management and opioid use reduction for patients experiencing cancer pain and non-cancer pain conditions.

Mindfulness-Based Interventions – Evidence Rating: Low Quality

Evidence describing mindfulness-based interventions for pain comes from systematic reviews citing low quality evidence. These reviews draw from randomized control trials that sampled populations including back pain, neck pain, fibromyalgia, neuropathy, arthritic conditions, and cancer pain. The quality of the included studies was limited by heterogeneity of the interventions (including dosage and delivery format), small sample sizes, lack of blinding, and lack of long-term outcomes. Real-world studies of MBIs have mostly investigated patient-level factors that affect its use, and additional research is needed to better understand for whom MBIs are most efficacious, as well as provider- and system-level barriers to its use.

Evidence-based Scale

Mindfulness-Based Interventions (MBIs) can be effective for pain management and opioid use reduction for patients experiencing cancer pain and non-cancer pain conditions, including musculoskeletal pain, headache, and other mixed or unspecified pain conditions. There is limited research to date on the benefits of MBIs for individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and those who are minoritized, as well as on the effectiveness of these interventions when implemented in real-world settings beyond controlled research studies.