Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) has benefits for those with chronic pain. MBSR typically entails an intensive 8-week intervention. The effects of very brief mindfulness interventions are unknown. Among those with chronic pain, the immediate effects of a 10 min mindfulness-based body scan were compared with a control intervention. Fifty-five adult outpatients were randomly assigned to either: (1) mindfulness-based body scan (n = 27) or (2) a reading about natural history (control group, n = 28), provided via a 10 min audio-recording. Interventions were delivered twice across 24 h; once in the clinic and once in participants' 'normal' environment. Immediately before and after listening to the recording, participants rated pain severity, pain related distress, perceived ability for daily activities, perceived likelihood of pain interfering with social relations, and mindfulness. In the clinic, there was a significant reduction in ratings for pain related distress and for pain interfering with social relations for the body scan group compared with the control group (p = 0.005; p = 0.036, respectively). In the normal environment none of the ratings were significantly different between the groups. These data suggest that, in a clinic setting, a brief body scan has immediate benefits for those experiencing chronic pain. These benefits need to be confirmed in the field.

We report a rare case of large bowel obstruction secondary to a gallstone impacted within the sigmoid colon, in the presence of sigmoid diverticular disease. An 89-year-old woman presented with an 8-day history of increasing abdominal distension, pain and associated nausea. Abdominal X-ray demonstrated large bowel dilation. CT scan revealed a fistula between an inflamed gallbladder and the hepatic flexure of the colon, with a large gallstone in the sigmoid colon. Proximal dilated large bowel was evident to the caecum. Flexible sigmoidoscopy was performed as the least invasive potential treatment method with a view to basket retrieval or fragmentation of the stone. Owing to poor views and risk of diverticular perforation, the procedure was abandoned, hence laparotomy was performed. Antegrade manipulation and per-rectal evacuation were attempted but failed due to a thickened, angulated sigmoid colon. Retrograde milking of the stone to the caecum and retrieval via modified appendicectomy was successful.

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