Evidence for your Practice: Brief Mindfulness Training and Hypnotic Suggestion for Acute Pain Relief in Hospital Setting

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Article for review: Garland, E. L., Baker, A. K., Larsen, P., Riquino, M. R., Priddy, S. E., Thomas, E., ... & Nakamura, Y. (2017). Randomized Controlled Trial of Brief Mindfulness Training and Hypnotic Suggestion for Acute Pain Relief in the Hospital Setting. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 1-8.

This randomized controlled trial evaluated the acute effects of 15-min psychosocial interventions (mindfulness, hypnotic suggestion, psychoeducation) on adult inpatients reporting “intolerable pain” or “inadequate pain control.” 244 participants were assigned to one of the three intervention conditions, which were delivered by hospital social workers who completed basic training in each scripted method.

Conclusion: Brief, single-session mind-body interventions led to clinically significant improvements in pain and related outcomes. A reduction in perceived need for opioid medication was reported by participants in the mindfulness and hypnotic suggestion groups. Findings suggest that such interventions may be useful adjuncts to medical pain management.

A quote from Medical News Today highlights the significance of these findings:

"About a third of the study participants receiving one of the two mind-body therapies achieved close to a 30 percent reduction in pain intensity," said Eric Garland, lead author of the study and director of the U's Center on Mindfulness and Integrative Health Intervention Development. "This clinically significant level of pain relief is roughly equivalent to the pain relief produced by 5 milligrams of oxycodone."

Bottom Line: Single, brief scripted sessions of mindfulness training can improve pain and reduce perceived need for opioid medication. Occupational therapists practicing in a hospital setting can use this evidence-based intervention to support patients and clients with acute pain.  

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