The Effects of Meditation-Based Interventions on the Treatment of Fibromyalgia

Abstract

Meditation is the third most commonly requested complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapy reported in a US survey. Those who suffer from chronic pain are those who most frequently use CAM therapies. This review aims to evaluate whether meditation-based interventions can help the treatment of fibromyalgia. A PubMed search was conducted using the terms "fibromyalgia" and "meditation", or "mindfulness", or "mantra" or "relaxation response". We selected articles which clearly described a meditation intervention being used in the treatment of fibromyalgia. Only four articles were classified with score 3 in the Jadad scale. Another seven articles were included in this review. Most of the results indicate improvement in fibromyalgia-related symptoms in patients who participated in a meditation-based intervention. Considering only 4 of the 13 studies achieved a score of 3 on the Jadad scale, researchers of meditation interventions should discuss the best methodologic control for these studies.

A Systematic Review of Relaxation, Meditation, and Guided Imagery Strategies for Symptom Management in Heart Failure

“…59 In a review of systematic reviews published through 2008, Adler described potential benefit but insufficient evidence for relaxation strategies in managing dyspnea, and no systematic reviews addressing evidence for meditation or guided in heart failure symptom management. 59 The current findings are consistent with reviews of cognitive-behavioral strategies for symptom management in other chronic health conditions including cancer 60 , fibromyalgia 61 , irritable bowel syndrome 62 , menopause 63–64 , multiple sclerosis 65 , and temporomandibular joint disorder. 66 Previous reviews have commonly noted mixed results across studies, with numerous trials of small size and fair to poor quality, but demonstrating potential beneficial effects of cognitive-behavioral strategies in controlling illness- or treatment-related symptoms.…”

Standardised Mindfulness-Based Interventions in Healthcare: An Overview of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses of RCTs

“…Quality of life favoured MBSR compared to the health education program but did not reach statistical significance when compared to wait list control [23]. MBSR also improved quality of life and depressive symptoms significantly in fibromyalgia patients [24]. …”

Mindfulness Meditation for Chronic Pain: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

“…Current research using neuroimaging to elucidate neurological mechanisms underlying effects of mindfulness has focused on brain structures such as the posterior cingulate cortex, which appear to be involved in self-referential processing [7, 8]. Clinical uses of mindfulness include applications in substance abuse [9], tobacco cessation [10], stress reduction [11], and treatment of chronic pain [12–14]. …”