Effect of Prayer on Intensity of Migraine Headache

Tajadini, Haleh; Zangiabadi, Nasser; Divsalar, Kouros; Safizadeh, Hossein; Esmaili, Zahra; Rafiei, Hossein

doi:10.1177/2156587215627551

Cited by 9 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…Specifically, intercessory prayer has been shown to improve migraine pain. (26) Further, Jegindo and colleagues found that for religious pain-free individuals, prayer was associated with decreased pain intensity and unpleasantness during an electrical stimulation task. (27,28)…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An experimental investigation of the relationships among race, prayer, and pain

Meints

Mosher

Rand

et al. 2018

Scandinavian Journal of Pain

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Abstract Background and aims Compared to White individuals, Black individuals demonstrate a lower pain tolerance. Research suggests that differences in pain coping strategies, such as prayer, may mediate this race difference. However, previous research has been cross-sectional and has not determined whether prayer in and of itself or rather the passive nature of prayer is driving the effects on pain tolerance. The aim of this study was to clarify the relationships among race, prayer (both active and passive), and pain tolerance. Methods We randomly assigned 208 pain-free participants (47% Black, 53% White) to one of three groups: active prayer (“God, help me endure the pain”), passive prayer (“God, take the pain away”), or no prayer (“The sky is blue”). Participants first completed a series of questionnaires including the Duke University Religion Index, the Coping Strategies Questionnaire-Revised (CSQ-R), and the Pain Catastrophizing Scale. Participants were then instructed to repeat a specified prayer or distractor coping statement while undergoing a cold pressor task. Cold pain tolerance was measured by the number of seconds that had elapsed while the participant’s hand remained in the cold water bath (maximum 180 s). Results Results of independent samples t-tests indicated that Black participants scored higher on the CSQ-R prayer/hoping subscale. However, there were no race differences among other coping strategies, religiosity, or catastrophizing. Results of a 2 (Race: White vs. Black)×3 (Prayer: active vs. passive vs. no prayer) ANCOVA controlling for a general tendency to pray and catastrophizing in response to prayer indicated a main effect of prayer that approached significance (p=0.06). Pairwise comparisons indicated that those in the active prayer condition demonstrated greater pain tolerance than those in the passive (p=0.06) and no prayer (p=0.03) conditions. Those in the passive and no prayer distractor conditions did not significantly differ (p=0.70). There was also a trending main effect of race [p=0.08], with White participants demonstrating greater pain tolerance than Black participants. Conclusions Taken together, these results indicate that Black participants demonstrated a lower pain tolerance than White participants, and those in the active prayer condition demonstrated greater tolerance than those in the passive and no prayer conditions. Furthermore, Black participants in the passive prayer group demonstrated the lowest pain tolerance, while White participants in the active prayer group exhibited the greatest tolerance. Results of this study suggest that passive prayer, like other passive coping strategies, may be related to lower pain tolerance and thus poorer pain outcomes, perhaps especially for Black individuals. On the other hand, results suggest active prayer is associated with greater pain tolerance, especially for White individuals. Implications These results suggest that understanding the influence of prayer on pain may require differentiation between active versus passive prayer strategies. Like other active coping strategies for pain, active prayer may facilitate self-management of pain and thus enhance pain outcomes independent of race. Psychosocial interventions may help religiously-oriented individuals, regardless of race, cultivate a more active style of prayer to improve their quality of life.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An experimental investigation of the relationships among race, prayer, and pain

Meints

Mosher

Rand

et al. 2018

Scandinavian Journal of Pain

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“…Based on the evidence of previous research of small to large effects of HYP, MM, and CP on pain intensity and pain tolerance, we considered a small effect size (Cohen’s f ) of 0.15 for a Time × Condition interaction effect as well as a two-sided α of 0.05 and a power of 0.95. 24 , 26 , 27 , 50 , 52 , 53 This calculation resulted in a minimum sample size required to detect a Time × Condition interaction effect of 196 participants (49 per study condition).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Immediate Effects of Hypnosis, Mindfulness Meditation, and Prayer on Cold Pressor Outcomes: A Four-Arm Parallel Experimental Study

Ferreira-Valente¹,

Dyke²,

Day³

et al. 2022

JPR

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Purpose Previous research supports the usefulness of hypnosis (HYP), mindfulness meditation (MM), and prayer as pain self-management strategies in adults with chronic pain. However, their effects on acute pain have been less researched, and no previous head-to-head study compared the immediate effects of these three approaches on pain-related outcomes. This study compared the immediate effects of HYP, MM, and Christian prayer (CP) on pain intensity, pain tolerance, and stress as assessed by heart rate variability (HRV). Participants and Methods A total of 232 healthy adults were randomly assigned to, and completed, a single 20-minute session of MM, SH, CP, or an attention control (CN), and underwent two cycles (one pre- and one post-intervention) of Cold Pressor Arm Wrap (CPAW). Sessions were audio-delivered. Participants responded to pre- and post-intervention pain intensity measurements. Pain tolerance (sec) was assessed during the CPAW cycles. HRV was assessed at baseline, and at pre- and post-intervention CPAW cycles. The study protocol was pre-registered at the ClinicalTrials.gov registry (NCT04491630). Results Small within-group decreases in pain intensity and small increases in pain tolerance were found for HYP and MM from the pre- to the post-intervention. Small within-group improvements in the LH/HF ratio were also found for HYP. The exploratory between-group pairwise comparisons revealed a medium effect size effects of HYP on pain tolerance relative to the control condition. The effects of CP were positive, but small and not statistically significant. Only small to medium, though non-significant, Time × Group interaction effects were found. Conclusion Study results suggest that single short-term HYP and MM sessions, but not biblical-based CP, may be useful for acute pain self-management, with HYP being the slightly superior option. Future research should compare the effects of different types of prayer and examine the predictors and moderators of these pain approaches’ effects on pain-related outcomes.

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“…Using experimental designs, prayer has been associated with reduced pain and healthier cardiovascular responses to stress. For instance, in a randomized clinical trial of the effects of prayer on migraine headaches among Muslim patients, pain was significantly lower in the group who received pharmacological treatment plus prayer for 2 months than the group who received only pharmacological treatment for 2 months (Tajadini et al, 2017). Similarly, in a meditation study of migraine sufferers, compared to three other groups (internally focused secular meditation, externally focused secular meditation, progressive muscle relaxation), those who practiced spiritual meditation had greater decreases in the frequency of migraine headaches, anxiety, and negative affect, as well as greater increases in pain tolerance, headache-related selfefficacy, daily spiritual experiences, and existential well-being (Wachholtz & Pargament, 2008).…”

Section: Prayermentioning

confidence: 99%

Handbook of Positive Psychology, Religion, and Spirituality

Davis¹,

Worthington²,

Schnitker³

2022

Preprint

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This handbook aims to bridge the gap between the fields of positive psychology and the psychology of religion and spirituality. It is the authoritative guide to the intersections among religion, spirituality, and positive psychology and includes the following sections: (1) historical and theoretical considerations, (2) methodological considerations, (3) cultural considerations, (4) developmental considerations, (5) empirical research on happiness and well-being in relation to religion and spirituality, (6) empirical research on character strengths and virtues in relation to religion and spirituality, (7) clinical and applied considerations, and (8) field unification and advancement. Leading positive psychologists and psychologists of religion/spirituality have coauthored the chapters, drawing on expertise from their respective fields. The handbook is useful for social and clinical scientists, practitioners in helping professions, practitioners in religious and spiritual fields, and students of psychology and religion/spirituality.

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Effect of Prayer on Intensity of Migraine Headache

Cited by 9 publications

References 21 publications

An experimental investigation of the relationships among race, prayer, and pain

An experimental investigation of the relationships among race, prayer, and pain

Immediate Effects of Hypnosis, Mindfulness Meditation, and Prayer on Cold Pressor Outcomes: A Four-Arm Parallel Experimental Study

Handbook of Positive Psychology, Religion, and Spirituality

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