Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Intervention for the Treatment of Chronic Pain in the Elderly

One of the most common complaints of adults in their 80s and above, a growing portion of our population, is chronic pain and it is often inadequately treated. A secular mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program was developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn in 1979 and has since shown measurable benefits to individuals in decreasing depression, pain, and anxiety. Considering the significant risk of side effects and age-associated changes of pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics in the traditional pharmacologic approach to chronic pain in the elderly, non-pharmacologic intervention such as MBSR may be particularly effective for the elderly population. Methods: We conducted a 6 week, 90 minutes per week MBSR program. We will measure feasibility (ability to recruit 18-20 residents). We will also measure pain intensity and interference before and after the program. Results: A total of 21 patients participated in the MBSR for chronic pain program. The pain intensity and pain interference scores after the MBSR program decreased with statistical significance from the pre-program scores (p \u3c 0.001 and p \u3c 0.01 respectively). These scores remained significantly decreased from pre-program scores at 2 month follow up (p \u3c 0.001 and p \u3c 0.01 respectively). Conclusion: These data suggests that a MBSR program for chronic pain in the elderly is a feasible and effective intervention for lowering pain intensity and interference. This small study paves the way for larger efficacy studies that may compare this intervention to other current chronic pain standards of care

An adapted mindfulness-based stress reduction program for elders in a continuing care retirement community: quantitative and qualitative results from a pilot randomized controlled trial.

The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility and effectiveness of an adapted 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program for elders in a continuing care community. This mixed-methods study used both quantitative and qualitative measures. A randomized waitlist control design was used for the quantitative aspect of the study. Thirty-nine elderly were randomized to MBSR (n = 20) or a waitlist control group (n = 19), mean age was 82 years. Both groups completed pre-post measures of health-related quality of life, acceptance and psychological flexibility, facets of mindfulness, self-compassion, and psychological distress. A subset of MBSR participants completed qualitative interviews. MBSR participants showed significantly greater improvement in acceptance and psychological flexibility and in role limitations due to physical health. In the qualitative interviews, MBSR participants reported increased awareness, less judgment, and greater self-compassion. Study results demonstrate the feasibility and potential effectiveness of an adapted MBSR program in promoting mind-body health for elders

Mindfulness in Medicine and Healthcare - September 22, 2021

Learning Objectives By the end of this presentation participants will be able to: Define mindfulness and the axioms of mindfulness Describe mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) currently in use in healthcare Review the evidence for MBIs in clinical populations Review the evidence for MBIs in non-clinical populations including healthcare provider

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: Quantitative and Qualitative Assessment

Overall Goals and Objectives: 1. Identify recent advances in integrative medical care and discuss their application to clinical practice. 2. Describe the latest data on complementary and alternative medical therapies that could improve patient outcomes. 3. Discuss core integrative medicine topics that patients frequently ask physicians about. Presentation: 55 minute