Meditation for Pain

The general scope of the study involves meditation and its effects on pain management, narcotic use, and emotional well-being. Half of the participants will receive access to a meditation app, which they will be asked to use for at least 10 minutes every day for 6 weeks, while the other participants will be in the waitlist group and will receive a subscription to the meditation app after the 6 week study period ends. All participants will be asked to complete a set of questionnaires

Chronic pain affects an estimated 11.2% of the US population, costs the United States approximately $635 billion per year in medical expenses and lost productivity, and fuels the current epidemic of opioid addiction. Understanding alternate approaches to chronic pain management is an imperative given new guidelines for the treatment of pain, and preliminary studies indicate that meditation programs may reduce the suffering and distress that accompanies chronic pain. However, much of the research on meditation for pain has examined the effects of scheduled group interventions, delivered in-person by instructors over the course of several weeks. Far less research has looked at the delivery method that is most common and arguably most sustainable for busy adults, namely, smart phone delivered Contemplative Applications (Apps) for Well-being (CAWs). The proposed study will examine the use and impact of a meditation apps in the context of pain. Participants will be randomized to either app or a wait-list group, and will be assessed in terms of self-reported pain, distress, narcotic use. To assess efficacy, the researchers will examine the longitudinal changes in all measures in the mindfulness app group, compared to wait-list control groups.