Anxiety during medical procedures
Bugbee ME, Wellisch DK, Arnott IM, et al. “Breast core-needle biopsy: clinical trial of relaxation technique versus medication versus no intervention for anxiety reduction.” Radiology. 234(1):73-8, 2005 Jan.
In this study, women were randomized as follows: no anxiety intervention (usual care group), relaxation therapy with an audiotape of classical music and ocean sounds during core-needle biopsy (CNB) (relaxation group), and 0.5-mg of alprazolam administered orally 15 minutes before the procedure (medication group). During the procedure, anxiety increased in the usual care group by 15% and decreased in the relaxation group by 8%.

Kanji N, White AR, Ernst E, et al. “Autogenic training reduces anxiety after coronary angioplasty: a randomized clinical trial.” American Heart Journal. 147(3):E10, 2004 Mar.
Autogenic training (AT) is a method of autosuggestion with some potential for reducing anxiety. In this randomized study, 59 patients were assigned to receive regular AT or just standard care for 5 months. A significant intergroup difference was noted at both 2 and 5 months. This finding was corroborated by secondary outcome measures, such as quality of life, and by qualitative information about patients’ experiences. The results suggest that AT may have a role in reducing anxiety of patients undergoing coronary angioplasty.

Back Pain
Carson JW, Keefe FJ, Lynch TR, et al. “Loving-kindness meditation for chronic low back pain: results from a pilot trial.” Journal of Holistic Nursing. 2005 Sep; 23(3): 287-304.
Loving-kindness meditation has been used for centuries in the Buddhist tradition to develop love and transform anger into compassion. This pilot study tested an 8-week loving-kindness meditation program for chronic low back pain patients. Forthy-three patients were randomly assigned to the meditation intervention or standard care. Post and follow-up analyses showed significant improvements in pain and psychological distress in the loving-kindness group, but no changes in the usual care group. Preliminary results suggest that the loving-kindness program can be beneficial in reducing pain, anger, and psychological distress in patients with persistent low back pain.

Cardiac Events after Myocardial Infaction
Van Dixhoorn JJ, Duivenvoorden JH. “Effect of relaxation therapy on cardiac events after myocardial infarction: a 5-year follow-up study.” Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation. 19(3):178-85, May-June 1999.
The occurrence of major cardiac events and cardiac rehospitalization were compared for two treatment groups. Patients with previous myocardial infarction were randomized to receive either exercise training and relaxation therapy or exercise training only (control group). At five-year follow-up the total number of rehospitalizations was reduced by 31% in the group receiving relaxation training.

Cancer patients: mood and stress
Carlson LE, Garland SN. “Impact of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on sleep, mood, stress and fatigue symptoms in cancer outpatients.” International Journal of Behavioral Medicine. 2005; 12(4): 278-85.
This study examined the effects of an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program on the sleep quality of 63 cancer patients. The results showed that overall sleep disturbance was significantly reduced and participants reported their sleep quality had improved. There was also a significant reduction in stress, mood disturbance, and fatigue.

Specca M, Carlson LE, Goodey E, et al. “A randomized, wait-list controlled clinical trial: the effect of a mindfulness meditation-based stress reduction program on mood and symptoms of stress in cancer outpatients.” Psychosomatic Medicine. 62(5):613-622, 2000.
Ninety patients were randomly assigned to either an immediate meditation treatment group or a wait-list control group. Patients in the mindfulness meditation treatment group had significantly lower scores on Total Mood Disturbance and subscales of Depression, Anxiety, Anger and Confusion. This group also had fewer overall symptoms of stress. Overall the reduction in Total Mood Disturbance was 65%, with a 31% reduction in Symptoms of Stress. The meditation program was effective in decreasing mood disturbance and stress symptoms in both male and female patients with a wide variety of cancer diagnosis, stages of illness and ages.

HIV/AIDS
Brazier A, Mulkins A, Verhoef M. “Evaluating a yogic breathing and meditation intervention for individuals living with HIV/AIDS.” American Journal of Health Promotion. 2006 Jan-Feb; 20(3): 192-5.
In this randomized controlled trial 62 participants with HIV/AIDS were taught breathing, movement, and meditation techniques. A repeated-measures analysis of variance indicated positive changes in well-being on the mental health index, where the effect was primarily seen immediately following the program and disappeared at later data points. The qualitative interviews described positive changes in how participants were living their day-to-day lives.

Hypertension
Barnes VA, Treiber FA, Turner JR, et al. “Acute effects of Transcendental Meditation on hemodynamic functioning in middle-aged adults.” Psychosomatic Medicine. 61(4): 525-531, 1999.
Increased peripheral vascular constriction has been implicated as playing an important role in the early development of essential hypertension. Thirty two healthy adults were divided into 3 groups: a TM group of long-term TM practitioners, a control group who did eyes closed relaxation, and all subjects who used eyes open rest for 20 minutes. During eyes open rest the TM group had decreases in systolic blood pressure and total peripheral resistance (TPR), compared with increases in the control group. During TM there was a greater decrease in systolic blood pressure and TPR compared with the control group during eyes-closed relaxation. TPR decreased significantly during TM and this decrease in vasoconstrictive tone may be the mechanism responsible for reduction of high blood pressure over time.

Immune and Brain Function
Davidson RJ, Kabat-Zinn J, Schumacher J, et al. “Alterations in brain and immune function produced by mindfulness meditation.” Psychosomatic Medicine. 65:564-570, 2003.
This randomized controlled trial looked at the effects on the brain and immune function of an 8-week clinical training program in mindfulness meditation applied in a work environment with healthy employees. At the end of the 8-week period subjects in the meditation group (25) and in the wait-list control group (16) were vaccinated with influenza vaccine. Findings included significant increases in left-sided anterior brain wave activation (a finding closely associated with positive affect) and significant increases in antibody titers to the influenza vaccine in the meditation group as compared to the control group. The increase in left-sided activation predicted the magnitude of antibody titer rise to the vaccine. These findings show that a short program in mindfulness meditation produces demonstrable effects on brain and immune function.

Insomnia
Lichstein KL, et al. “Relaxation to assist sleep medication withdrawal.” Behavior Modification. 23(3):379-402, Jul. 1999.
Of forty study participants, half used sleep medication regularly and half were nonmedicated. Half of each group received progressive relaxation. All medicated participants went through a standard gradual withdrawal program and reduced sleep medication by nearly 80%. Participants who received progressive relaxation had increased sleep efficiency and quality of sleep and reduced withdrawal symptoms.

Phobias
McGlynn FD, Moore PM, Lawyer S, Karg R. “Relaxation training inhibits fear and arousal during in vivo exposure to phobia-cue stimuli.” Journal of Behavior Therapy & Experimental Psychiatry. 30(3):155-68, Sep. 1999.
Two groups of subjects with a phobia to snakes were exposed to a caged snake in eight separate sessions. Measurements of various parameters were made including heart rate, skin conductance levels, distance between subject and snake, and self-reported fear intensities. Only one group received six sessions of progressive relaxation training prior to the trials. This group showed clear lessening of arousal and fear throughout the course of exposure.

Post-operative Pain
Good M, et al. “Relief of postoperative pain with jaw relaxation, music and their combination.” Pain. 81(1-2):163-72, May 1999.
In this randomized, controlled trial at five Midwestern hospitals 500 subjects were assigned to a relaxation, music, relaxation and music, or control group. Results indicated that the three treatment groups had significantly less pain than the controls; the combination group had significantly less sensation and distress of pain than the control group on all post-tests; and the relaxation group and music group had signficantly less on all tests, except after ambulation.

Psoriasis
Kabat-Zinn J, et al. “Influence of a mindfulness meditation-based stress reduction intervention on rates of skin clearing in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis undergoing phototherapy (UCB) and photochemotherapy (PUVA)“. Psychosomatic Medicine. 60(5):625-32, Sept-Oct, 1998.
Conducted at the Stress Reduction Clinic, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical Center, this randomized clinical trial studied 37 patients with psoriasis who were assigned to receive either instruction by audiotape in mindfulness meditation-based stress reduction during light treatments or light treatments alone with no taped instruction. Subjects in the tape group reached the Halfway Point and Clearing Point significantly more rapidly than those in the control condition for both types of light treatments.

Psychological Symptoms
Astin JA. “Stress reduction through mindfulness meditation. Effects on psychological symptomatology, sense of control, and spiritual experiences.” Psychotherapy & Psychosomatics. 66(2):97-106, 1997.
Twenty eight patients were randomized into an experimental group who received an 8-week stress reduction program based on mindfulness meditation training and a group receiving no intervention. The meditation group showed significantly greater changes in reduction in overall psychological symptomatology, increase in overall domain-specific sense of control as well as an accepting mode of control, and higher scores on a measure of spiritual experiences. The authors conclude that mindfulness meditation may offer a powerful cognitive behavioral life coping strategy and contribute to relapse prevention in affective disorders.

Substance Abuse
Alterman AI, Koppenhaver JM, Mulholland E, et al. “Pilot trial of effectiveness of mindfulness meditation for substance abuse patients.” Journal of Substance Use. 2004 Dec; 9(6): 259-68.
This randomized pilot study compared the outcomes of 18 substance-abuse recovery house patients who received 8 weeks of mindfulness meditation plus standard treatment with that of 13 patients receiving only standard treatment. There was a relatively greater improvement in medical problems over the 5-month follow-up period for the meditation group. However, the groups did not differ in urine toxicology results, and no differential group change was found on measures of psychological health. This initial small pilot evaluation yielded relatively little indication that meditation enhanced treatment outcomes for the substance abuse patients studied.

Content last modified on Jun 8, 2006