Pain sensitivity and analgesic effects of mindful states in Zen meditators: a cross-sectional study - PubMed (original) (raw)
Comparative Study
Pain sensitivity and analgesic effects of mindful states in Zen meditators: a cross-sectional study
Joshua A Grant et al. Psychosom Med. 2009 Jan.
Abstract
Objective: To investigate pain perception and the potential analgesic effects of mindful states in experienced Zen meditators.
Methods: Highly trained Zen meditators (n = 13; >1000 hours of practice) and age/gender-matched control volunteers (n = 13) received individually adjusted thermal stimuli to elicit moderate pain on the calf. Conditions included: a) baseline-1: no task; b) concentration: attend exclusively to the calf; c) mindfulness: attend to the calf and observe, moment to moment, in a nonjudgmental manner; and d) baseline-2: no task.
Results: Meditators required significantly higher temperatures to elicit moderate pain (meditators: 49.9 degrees C; controls: 48.2 degrees C; p = .01). While attending "mindfully," meditators reported decreases in pain intensity whereas control subjects showed no change from baseline. The concentration condition resulted in increased pain intensity for controls but not for meditators. Changes in pain unpleasantness generally paralleled those found in pain intensity. In meditators, pain modulation correlated with slowing of the respiratory rate and with greater meditation experience. Covariance analyses indicated that mindfulness-related changes could be partially explained by changes in respiratory rates. Finally, the meditators reported higher tendencies to observe and be nonreactive of their own experience as measured on the Five Factor Mindfulness Questionnaire; these factors correlated with individual differences in respiration.
Conclusions: These results indicated that Zen meditators have lower pain sensitivity and experience analgesic effects during mindful states. Results may reflect cognitive/self-regulatory skills related to the concept of mindfulness and/or altered respiratory patterns. Prospective studies investigating the effects of meditative training and respiration on pain regulation are warranted.
Similar articles
- Cortical thickness and pain sensitivity in zen meditators.
Grant JA, Courtemanche J, Duerden EG, Duncan GH, Rainville P. Grant JA, et al. Emotion. 2010 Feb;10(1):43-53. doi: 10.1037/a0018334. Emotion. 2010. PMID: 20141301 - Meditation, mindfulness and cognitive flexibility.
Moore A, Malinowski P. Moore A, et al. Conscious Cogn. 2009 Mar;18(1):176-86. doi: 10.1016/j.concog.2008.12.008. Epub 2009 Jan 31. Conscious Cogn. 2009. PMID: 19181542 - Impact of mindfulness on the neural responses to emotional pictures in experienced and beginner meditators.
Taylor VA, Grant J, Daneault V, Scavone G, Breton E, Roffe-Vidal S, Courtemanche J, Lavarenne AS, Beauregard M. Taylor VA, et al. Neuroimage. 2011 Aug 15;57(4):1524-33. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2011.06.001. Epub 2011 Jun 12. Neuroimage. 2011. PMID: 21679770 - Meditative analgesia: the current state of the field.
Grant JA. Grant JA. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2014 Jan;1307:55-63. doi: 10.1111/nyas.12282. Epub 2013 Nov 8. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2014. PMID: 24673150 Review. - [The history of Mindfulness put to the test of current scientific data: unresolved questions].
Trousselard M, Steiler D, Claverie D, Canini F. Trousselard M, et al. Encephale. 2014 Dec;40(6):474-80. doi: 10.1016/j.encep.2014.08.006. Epub 2014 Sep 5. Encephale. 2014. PMID: 25194754 Review. French.
Cited by
- Neural correlates of mindfulness meditation-related anxiety relief.
Zeidan F, Martucci KT, Kraft RA, McHaffie JG, Coghill RC. Zeidan F, et al. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci. 2014 Jun;9(6):751-9. doi: 10.1093/scan/nst041. Epub 2013 Apr 24. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci. 2014. PMID: 23615765 Free PMC article. - Does meditation reduce pain through a unique neural mechanism?
Salomons TV, Kucyi A. Salomons TV, et al. J Neurosci. 2011 Sep 7;31(36):12705-7. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2843-11.2011. J Neurosci. 2011. PMID: 21900549 Free PMC article. No abstract available. - The Role of Heart Rate Variability in Mindfulness-Based Pain Relief.
Adler-Neal AL, Waugh CE, Garland EL, Shaltout HA, Diz DI, Zeidan F. Adler-Neal AL, et al. J Pain. 2020 Mar-Apr;21(3-4):306-323. doi: 10.1016/j.jpain.2019.07.003. Epub 2019 Aug 1. J Pain. 2020. PMID: 31377215 Free PMC article. Clinical Trial. - Brain mechanisms supporting the modulation of pain by mindfulness meditation.
Zeidan F, Martucci KT, Kraft RA, Gordon NS, McHaffie JG, Coghill RC. Zeidan F, et al. J Neurosci. 2011 Apr 6;31(14):5540-8. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5791-10.2011. J Neurosci. 2011. PMID: 21471390 Free PMC article. Clinical Trial. - Parents' relationship to pain during children's cancer treatment - a preliminary validation of the Pain Flexibility Scale for Parents.
Thorsell Cederberg J, Weineland Strandskov S, Dahl J, Ljungman G. Thorsell Cederberg J, et al. J Pain Res. 2017 Mar 3;10:507-514. doi: 10.2147/JPR.S127019. eCollection 2017. J Pain Res. 2017. PMID: 28424558 Free PMC article.
Publication types
MeSH terms
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Medical