Samaritan Researchers Study Mindfulness in Treating Chronic Pain May 8, 2024 There are many ways to address chronic pain that have nothing to do with medication. As part of ongoing research of using mindfulness techniques for treating pain, a group of Samaritan doctors, resident physicians and statisticians collaborated on a study published in the Journal of Osteopathic Medicine in 2020. The study followed a group of 28 patients who were experiencing chronic pain recruited from Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center in Corvallis. The patients, ages 34 to 77, attended weekly mindfulness sessions with an instructor, then self-practiced what they learned with a goal of doing 30 minutes of mindfulness a day, six days a week for eight weeks. Compared with pre-survey measurements of pain, depression and functional capacity, the study found significant improvements after the course, said Samantha Shah, MD, with Samaritan Internal Medicine — Corvallis, one of the investigators in the study. “Mindfulness classes were found to benefit people with chronic pain and depression,” Dr. Shah said. New Treatment for a Common Condition In the United States, an estimated 100 million people are affected by chronic pain with correlated annual costs of approximately $635 billion. In response to a growing concern about chronic pain in the 1990s, medical providers responded by prescribing opioid pharmaceuticals, which led to the current opioid crisis. The search for alternative therapies has led to a multidisciplinary approach in managing chronic pain, including mindfulness-based stress reduction strategies. In the program, people are trained to be aware of themselves in the present moment using meditation and yoga techniques. Other research has shown mindfulness to be effective in treating pain, depression, addiction and anxiety. Dr. Shah is trained in functional medicine, which includes mindfulness. She was intrigued by the research opportunity. “It aligned with my way of thinking about the disease process and health,” she said. “I also think it’s really valuable to look at multiple modalities for treatment.” Dr. Shah was also interested in a study of a semi-rural setting because many communities in the Willamette Valley don’t have all the options that are available to people in larger cities, such as specialized pain management providers, therapists and psychologists. “So, it was a special interest to build on the current research by including semi-rural areas where there may not be as many resources,” Dr. Shah said. Small Study With Larger Implications Samaritan’s research team in the mindfulness study included several clinicians, including Dr. Shah and Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center Hospitalist Aaron Chavira, DO, and two Samaritan employees on the statistics and analysis side. The study was small, a pilot to see if the findings supported doing a larger study. Although the parameters looked at mood, functional capacity and perception of pain, further research may broaden the scope of the findings. “The main conclusion we drew was for chronic pain. But there is a significant overlap between those that have chronic pain and mood disorders,” Dr. Shah said. Dr. Shah said that many people with chronic pain rely on their health care provider to tell them what to do. She sees finding the right strategy for relief as a team effort and encourages people to explore different modalities. Sometimes, that involves looking beyond what you might be told in the context of an office visit. That’s true with other illnesses or ailments, not just chronic pain. “I would urge people to find the ways that are best for them. Then come back to your health care provider and ask if it might work,” said Dr. Shah. “You’re going to be the best judge for what works. We’re there to support, help and cheer for you.”
