Does a Brief Mindfulness Exercise Improve Outcomes in Upper Extremity Patients? A Randomized Controlled Trial

Area of Science:

• Orthopaedic Surgery
• Psychology
• Mindfulness Interventions

Background:

• Mindfulness interventions can reduce psychological distress and pain in chronic pain patients.
• Traditional mindfulness programs are often lengthy and resource-intensive, posing challenges for busy clinical settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of a 60-second personalized mindfulness-based video exercise on pain intensity, emotional distress, and state anxiety.
• To determine the feasibility and acceptability of this brief intervention for patients with upper extremity injuries in an orthopaedic practice.

Main Methods:

• A single-center, single-blind randomized controlled trial compared a 60-second mindfulness video to an educational pamphlet control.
• 125 patients with upper extremity injuries were randomized and assessed for pain, anxiety, depression, and anger.
• Feasibility was measured by patient refusal rates, and acceptability was assessed using the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire Scale-3.

Main Results:

• The mindfulness video group showed significant improvements in pain intensity, state anxiety, anxiety symptoms, depression, and anger compared to the control group.
• Observed improvements in pain intensity were below the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) for chronic pain.
• The intervention was feasible with a 0% dropout rate and demonstrated medium-range acceptability in both groups.

Conclusions:

• A 60-second mindfulness video exercise is feasible and acceptable for patients in orthopaedic practices.
• The intervention effectively improved momentary pain, anxiety, depression, and anger.
• Further research is needed to determine the clinical importance and durability of these effects, especially in patients with higher pain levels.