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| Associate Professor Gwyn Lewis Neurophysiologist, Health and Rehabilitation Research Institute, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, NZ Immediate Effect of a Brief Mindfulness Body Scan Meditation on the Nociceptive System G Lewis1, N Bossenger1, A Theadom2
1 Health and Rehabilitation Research Institute, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, NZ
2 National Institute for Stroke and Applied Neuroscience, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, NZ
Introduction: Brief mindfulness-based interventions have been shown to reduce aspects of pain in healthy individuals and in people with chronic pain, although it is uncertain how this occurs. One potential mechanism is that the mindfulness techniques lead to enhanced descending inhibition of dorsal horn neurons, reducing sensitisation of the nociceptive system.
Aim: To measure the immediate effects of a brief mindfulness body scan meditation on self-reported pain and the sensitivity of the nociceptive system in people with chronic pain. We hypothesised that self-reported pain would decrease and pressure-pain threshold (PPT) would increase following the intervention.
Methods: Thirty adults with chronic pain (23 women) participated in a randomised controlled trial. The experimental group followed a 10-minute audio recording of a mindfulness based body scan meditation. The control group listened to a 10-minute audio recording of text from an audio book read in a pleasant, friendly voice. The 10-minute intervention period was followed by a 15-minute rest period. The dependent variables were ratings of pain severity on a visual analogue scale, PPT at a painful body site, and PPT at a non-painful body site. The dependent variables were assessed prior to the intervention, and at 0 and 15 mins following the intervention.
Results: There were no statistically significant changes in any of the outcome measures following the intervention in either the experimental or control group.
Conclusions: In people with chronic pain, a brief (10 min) mindfulness body scan meditation has no effect on rating of pain severity or sensitivity of the nociceptive system. Further research is required before determining whether brief mindfulness interventions are helpful in people experiencing chronic pain.
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