The Role of Mindfulness Therapy in the Treatment of Chronic Pain.

Mindfulness therapy improves pain-related functions in chronic pain, but its effectiveness may depend on psychosocial factors, as some studies question it. The therapy influences cognitive factors like thought inhibition, attention deficit, pain catastrophizing, and self-efficacy. It may normalize psychological and neural processes, increasing connectivity in networks related to stress, cognition, and emotion. Further research is needed to fully understand these effects, offering new directions for psychotherapy in chronic pain.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Mindfulness therapy is a widely used treatment for many diseases and has been shown to improve pain-related functions. There is growing support for the use of psychotherapy in the treatment of chronic pain. While studies have shown a positive effect of mindfulness therapy, it is important to consider psychosocial factors as there are still a small number of studies that question its effectiveness. Based on current studies, mindfulness therapy involves cognitive factors related to chronic pain, both in terms of cognitive production and its impact on cognitive control. Psychological and neurobasic studies were reviewed to provide a deeper understanding of these components, which include thought inhibition, attention deficit, pain catastrophizing, and self-efficacy. Mindfulness therapy has the potential to normalize psychology and nerves, and increase internal and external connectivity to work networks related to stress perception, cognition, and emotion. However, further research is needed to fully understand its effects. By exploring the relationship between mindfulness therapy and chronic pain. This review provides a new avenue for future research in psychotherapy for patients with chronic pain.