Abstract
Objective: The objective of this study was to assess patient interest in intensive meditation training for chronic symptoms. Design and setting: This was a cross-sectional anonymous survey among six chronic disease clinics in Baltimore including Chronic Kidney Disease, Crohn's Disease, Headache, Renal Transplant Recipients, General Rheumatology, and lupus clinic. Subjects: Subjects were 1119 consecutive patients registering for their appointments at these clinics. Outcome measures: Outcome measures were 6-month pain, global symptomatology, four-item perceived stress scale, use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies, and attitudes toward use of meditation for managing symptoms. We then gave a scripted description of an intensive, 10-day meditation training retreat. Patient interest in attending such a retreat was assessed. Results: Seventy-seven percent (77%) of patients approached completed the survey. Fifty-three percent (53%) of patients reported moderate to severe pain over the past 6 months. Eighty percent (80%) reported use of some CAM therapy in the past. Thirty-five percent (35%) thought that learning meditation would improve their health, and 49% thought it would reduce stress. Overall, 39% reported interest in attending the intensive 10-day meditation retreat. Among those reporting moderate to severe pain or stress, the percentages were higher (48% and 59%). In a univariate analysis, higher education, nonworking/disabled status, female gender, higher stress, higher pain, higher symptomatology, and any CAM use were all associated with a greater odds of being moderately to very interested in an intensive 10-day meditation retreat. A multivariate model that included prior use of CAM therapies as predictors of interest in the program fit the data significantly better than a model not including CAM therapies (p=0.0013). Conclusions: Over 50% of patients followed in chronic disease clinics complain of moderate to severe pain. Patients with persistent pain or stress are more likely to be interested in intensive meditation.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 627-631 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jun 1 2010 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Complementary and alternative medicine
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Intensive meditation for refractory pain and symptoms. / Goyal, Madhav; Haythornthwaite, Jennifer; Levine, David; Becker, Diane M; Vaidya, Dhananjay; Hill-Briggs, Felicia; Ford, Daniel E.
In: Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, Vol. 16, No. 6, 01.06.2010, p. 627-631.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Intensive meditation for refractory pain and symptoms
AU - Goyal, Madhav
AU - Haythornthwaite, Jennifer
AU - Levine, David
AU - Becker, Diane M
AU - Vaidya, Dhananjay
AU - Hill-Briggs, Felicia
AU - Ford, Daniel E
PY - 2010/6/1
Y1 - 2010/6/1
N2 - Objective: The objective of this study was to assess patient interest in intensive meditation training for chronic symptoms. Design and setting: This was a cross-sectional anonymous survey among six chronic disease clinics in Baltimore including Chronic Kidney Disease, Crohn's Disease, Headache, Renal Transplant Recipients, General Rheumatology, and lupus clinic. Subjects: Subjects were 1119 consecutive patients registering for their appointments at these clinics. Outcome measures: Outcome measures were 6-month pain, global symptomatology, four-item perceived stress scale, use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies, and attitudes toward use of meditation for managing symptoms. We then gave a scripted description of an intensive, 10-day meditation training retreat. Patient interest in attending such a retreat was assessed. Results: Seventy-seven percent (77%) of patients approached completed the survey. Fifty-three percent (53%) of patients reported moderate to severe pain over the past 6 months. Eighty percent (80%) reported use of some CAM therapy in the past. Thirty-five percent (35%) thought that learning meditation would improve their health, and 49% thought it would reduce stress. Overall, 39% reported interest in attending the intensive 10-day meditation retreat. Among those reporting moderate to severe pain or stress, the percentages were higher (48% and 59%). In a univariate analysis, higher education, nonworking/disabled status, female gender, higher stress, higher pain, higher symptomatology, and any CAM use were all associated with a greater odds of being moderately to very interested in an intensive 10-day meditation retreat. A multivariate model that included prior use of CAM therapies as predictors of interest in the program fit the data significantly better than a model not including CAM therapies (p=0.0013). Conclusions: Over 50% of patients followed in chronic disease clinics complain of moderate to severe pain. Patients with persistent pain or stress are more likely to be interested in intensive meditation.
AB - Objective: The objective of this study was to assess patient interest in intensive meditation training for chronic symptoms. Design and setting: This was a cross-sectional anonymous survey among six chronic disease clinics in Baltimore including Chronic Kidney Disease, Crohn's Disease, Headache, Renal Transplant Recipients, General Rheumatology, and lupus clinic. Subjects: Subjects were 1119 consecutive patients registering for their appointments at these clinics. Outcome measures: Outcome measures were 6-month pain, global symptomatology, four-item perceived stress scale, use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies, and attitudes toward use of meditation for managing symptoms. We then gave a scripted description of an intensive, 10-day meditation training retreat. Patient interest in attending such a retreat was assessed. Results: Seventy-seven percent (77%) of patients approached completed the survey. Fifty-three percent (53%) of patients reported moderate to severe pain over the past 6 months. Eighty percent (80%) reported use of some CAM therapy in the past. Thirty-five percent (35%) thought that learning meditation would improve their health, and 49% thought it would reduce stress. Overall, 39% reported interest in attending the intensive 10-day meditation retreat. Among those reporting moderate to severe pain or stress, the percentages were higher (48% and 59%). In a univariate analysis, higher education, nonworking/disabled status, female gender, higher stress, higher pain, higher symptomatology, and any CAM use were all associated with a greater odds of being moderately to very interested in an intensive 10-day meditation retreat. A multivariate model that included prior use of CAM therapies as predictors of interest in the program fit the data significantly better than a model not including CAM therapies (p=0.0013). Conclusions: Over 50% of patients followed in chronic disease clinics complain of moderate to severe pain. Patients with persistent pain or stress are more likely to be interested in intensive meditation.
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U2 - 10.1089/acm.2009.0372
DO - 10.1089/acm.2009.0372
M3 - Article
VL - 16
SP - 627
EP - 631
JO - Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine
JF - Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine
SN - 1075-5535
IS - 6
ER -