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Brief report: A pilot study evaluating mindfulness-based stress reduction and massage for the management of chronic pain

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and massage may be useful adjunctive therapies for chronic musculoskeletal pain.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the feasibility of studying MBSR and massage for the management of chronic pain and estimate their effects on pain and mood.

DESIGN: Randomized trial comparing MBSR or massage with standard care.

PARTICIPANTS: Thirty patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain.

MEASUREMENTS: Pain was assessed with 0 to 10 numeric rating scales. Physical and mental health status was measured with the SF-12.

RESULTS: The study completion rate was 76.7%. At week 8, the massage group had average difference scores for pain unpleasantness of 2.9 and mental health status of 13.6 compared with 0.13 (P<.05) and 3.9 (P<.04), respectively, for the standard care group. These differences were no longer significant at week 12. There were no significant differences in the pain outcomes for the MBSR group. At week 12, the mean change in mental health status for the MBSR group was 10.2 compared with — 1.7 in the standard care group (P<.04).

CONCLUSIONS: It is feasible to study MBSR and massage in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain. Mindfulness-based stress reduction may be more effective and longer-lasting for mood improvement while massage may be more effective for reducing pain.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Geriatrics and Palliative Care, Health System, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va, USA

    Margaret Plews-Ogan MD,  Justine E. Owens PhD, Matthew Goodman MD & John Schorling MD

  2. Medical Laboratories, Health System, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va, USA

    Pamela Wolfe BS

Authors
  1. Margaret Plews-Ogan MD
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  2. Justine E. Owens PhD
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  3. Matthew Goodman MD
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  4. Pamela Wolfe BS
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  5. John Schorling MD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Justine E. Owens PhD.

Additional information

The authors have no conflicits of interest to report.

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare for this article or this research.

This study was supported in part by Grant 1D 12HP00040-03: Academic Administrative Units in Primary Care, Department of Health and Human Services and in part by the John W. Kluge Foundation.

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Plews-Ogan, M., Owens, J.E., Goodman, M. et al. Brief report: A pilot study evaluating mindfulness-based stress reduction and massage for the management of chronic pain. J GEN INTERN MED 20, 1136–1138 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1525-1497.2005.0247.x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1525-1497.2005.0247.x

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