Mind-Body Therapy (MBT)
The National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine defines mind-body medicine as "behavioral, psychologic, social, and spiritual approaches to medicine not commonly used." MBTs include:
Meditation;
Imagery;
Biofeedback;
Relaxation; and
Hypnosis.
A meta-analysis of 25 randomized trials looking at a variety of mind-body interventions as adjunctive therapy in the management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) suggested that mind-body interventions may be effective in patients who have had RA for a short time.[31]
The most researched MBT for arthritis has been the Arthritis Self-Management Program (ASMP).[32] This community-based intervention consists of:
Education;
Cognitive restructuring;
Physical activity to reduce pain;
Problem solving;
Relaxation; and
Development of skills to communicate with healthcare professionals.
Participants in ASMP experienced reductions in pain lasting 4 years post-intervention and amounting to a savings of 4 to 5 times the cost of the program per individual.[33]
Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, and colleagues from the Stress Reduction Clinic, Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, have published a series of studies suggesting that mindfulness meditation may be an effective strategy for helping chronic pain patients cope more effectively with their conditions.[34,35] Even though the studies lack adequate control groups, a 4-year follow-up showed that 60% to 72% of the 225 patients who had completed this 8-week mindfulness meditation program reported "moderate to great improvement" in pain status.[34]
Topics in Advanced Practice Nursing eJournal. 2007;7(1) © 2007 Medscape
Cite this: A Complementary Approach to Pain Management - Medscape - May 31, 2007.
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