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The Effects of Meditation-Based Interventions on the Treatment of Fibromyalgia

  • Fibromyalgia (MFP Peres, Section editor)
  • Published:
Current Pain and Headache Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Meditation is the third most commonly requested complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapy reported in a US survey. Those who suffer from chronic pain are those who most frequently use CAM therapies. This review aims to evaluate whether meditation-based interventions can help the treatment of fibromyalgia. A PubMed search was conducted using the terms “fibromyalgia” and “meditation”, or “mindfulness”, or “mantra” or “relaxation response”. We selected articles which clearly described a meditation intervention being used in the treatment of fibromyalgia. Only four articles were classified with score 3 in the Jadad scale. Another seven articles were included in this review. Most of the results indicate improvement in fibromyalgia-related symptoms in patients who participated in a meditation-based intervention. Considering only 4 of the 13 studies achieved a score of 3 on the Jadad scale, researchers of meditation interventions should discuss the best methodologic control for these studies.

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References

Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance •• Of major importance

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Disclosures

No potential conflicts of interest relevant to this article were reported.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto do Cérebro, Inst. Israelita de Ensino e Pesquisa Albert Einstein, Av. Albert Einstein, 627/701, CEP 05601-901, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    Elisa H. Kozasa & Mario P. Peres

  2. Department of Psychobiology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    Elisa H. Kozasa

  3. Escola Paulista de Enfermagem, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    Luiza H. Tanaka

  4. Centro Cochrane do Brasil, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    Carlos Monson

  5. Centro Integrado de Oncologia e Hematologia, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    Stephen Little

  6. Proser, Instituto de Psiquiatria, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    Frederico Camelo Leao

  7. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurologia/Neurociências, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    Mario P. Peres

Authors
  1. Elisa H. Kozasa
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  2. Luiza H. Tanaka
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  3. Carlos Monson
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  4. Stephen Little
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  5. Frederico Camelo Leao
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  6. Mario P. Peres
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Correspondence to Elisa H. Kozasa.

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Kozasa, E.H., Tanaka, L.H., Monson, C. et al. The Effects of Meditation-Based Interventions on the Treatment of Fibromyalgia. Curr Pain Headache Rep 16, 383–387 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-012-0285-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-012-0285-8

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