Mindfulness Training May Cut Opioid Misuse, Study Finds
For many people, the best way to deal with those debilitating headaches and body pains is by taking opioids. No wonder why these drugs are among the most commonly prescribed in the UK, US and elsewhere. But numerous studies have shown that painkillers do have side effects and may not be a good remedy for some people suffering from a serious illness.
Good thing, researchers from the University of Utah have recently developed a new treatment that does not only provide comfort to chronic pain sufferers but may also reduce opioid misuse.
They call it Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) which is designed to train patients to respond differently to stress, pain and opioid-related cues. This intervention uses three therapeutic approaches: mindfulness training, reappraisal, and savouring. The mindfulness part involves training the mind to increase awareness, and help an individual gain control over his or her attention, and regulate automatic habits. Reappraisal, on the other hand, is the reframing of the meaning of a stressful event in such a way as to see it as purposeful or growth promoting. The third part, savouring, refers to the process of learning to focus attention on positive events to increase one’s sensitivity to naturally rewarding experiences, such as enjoying a beautiful nature scene or experiencing a sense of connection with a loved one.
In the study, 115 chronic pain patients were randomly assigned to eight weeks of either MORE or conventional support group therapy, and outcomes were measured through questionnaires at pre- and post-treatment, and again at a three-month follow-up. Nearly three-quarters of the group misused painkillers before starting the programme by taking higher doses than prescribed. Opioid misuse includes using them to alleviate stress and anxiety or another method of unauthorised self-medication with opioids.
The intervention treatment involved a daily 15-minute mindfulness practice session and three minutes of mindful breathing prior to taking painkillers. This practice was designed to increase patients’ awareness of opioid craving – whether opioid use was driven by urges or a legitimate need for pain relief.
After the MORE programme, researchers found that the new treatment led to a 63 per cent reduction in opioid misuse, compared to a 32 per cent reduction among participants of a conventional support group.
“People who are in chronic pain need relief, and opioids are medically appropriate for many individuals,” said Eric Garland, Ph.D., the lead author of the study. “However, a new option is needed because existing treatments may not adequately alleviate pain while avoiding the problems that stem from chronic opioid use.”
Currently, the team is using MORE in a pilot brain imaging trial to help participants quit smoking. They are also planning to perform similar trials on people with mental health problems who also have alcohol addiction.
If all things turn out good, we might one day see MORE being offered by doctors as an adjunct therapy for pain management treatments.
Source of this article:
Using Mindfulness to Overcome Pain
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