Case Reports in Women's Health (Jan 2022)

The effects of a brief mindfulness-based intervention on pain perceptions in patients with chronic pelvic pain: A case series

  • Lindsay E. Clark Donat,
  • Jennifer Reynolds,
  • Margaret H. Bublitz,
  • Ellen Flynn,
  • Lauri Friedman,
  • Sarah D. Fox

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crwh.2021.e00380
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 33
p. e00380

Abstract

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Introduction: Chronic pelvic pain affects 15–20% of women, and patients frequently do not find relief with first-line therapies. Mindfulness-based meditation programs are effective in improving outcomes for patients with chronic pain conditions, but limited data exists for patients with chronic pelvic pain. We describe the effect of a brief mindfulness-based program, incorporated into pelvic-floor physical therapy visits, on perceived pain in patients with chronic pelvic pain. Case series: Patients being treated for pelvic pain participated in this 8-week program. Pelvic-floor physical therapists delivered a brief mindfulness-based exercise during routine physical therapy visits. Patients reported pain scores and pain catastrophizing scores at the beginning and end of the program. Ten patients completed the program. Paired-samples t-tests showed that pain catastrophizing significantly decreased from baseline to 8 weeks in patients who completed the mindfulness training and increased among patients who withdrew. Conclusion: Mindfulness-based exercises may be a useful complementary therapy for the treatment of chronic pelvic pain.

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