Patients with chronic illnesses are expected to self-manage much of their treatment. Barriers include limited time during appointments, consultations with multiple different providers, technical communication style, health literacy issues, and a sense of feeling overwhelmed. Patients with chronic pain syndromes experience symptoms which can negatively impact their quality of life by interfering with ability to sleep, work, and function in their social roles. One proposed mechanism in chronic pain management is mindfulness. Mindfulness is the intentional and non-judgmental conscious awareness of the present moment, or "paying attention on purpose" with the goal of physical and psychological health improvement. Participants are taught autonomy, increasing self-regulation, and focusing awareness on a particular goal or activity.
The investigators hypothesize that a mind-body counselor will improve patient engagement and promote adherence to pain coping treatments. If the initial findings from this project support the use of Integrative Medicine services in women with chronic pelvic pain, the investigators hope to expand this study to a larger, randomized controlled trial that is adequately powered to determine significant difference among participants in the control and study groups.
