Four-Year Follow-Up of a Meditation-Based Program for the Self-Regulation of Chronic Pain
Clinical Journal of Pain January 1, 1986 J. Kabat-Zinn, L. Lipworth, R. Burncy et al. 485 citations
A training program in mindfulness meditation led to large and significant improvements in physical and psychological status among 225 chronic pain patients. These gains were maintained at follow-up for most participants, with follow-up periods ranging from 2.5 to 48 months. However, scores on the McGill Melzack Pain Rating Index tended to return to pre-intervention levels after the training ended. Most subjects reported high adherence to the meditation techniques, sustained improvement over time, and considered the training program highly important. The authors conclude that mindfulness meditation training can provide long-term benefits for chronic pain patients.