Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 6, 2025
12:20
Use of the Operant Orofacial Pain Assessment Device OPAD to Measure Changes in Nociceptive Behavior
Published on: June 10, 2013
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Mindfulness Facets Associated with Orofacial Pain Outcomes
Jonathan Greenberg1,2, Daphne Catherine Spyropoulos3, Jafar Bakhshaie1,2
1Center for Health Outcomes and Interdisciplinary Research, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine
|June 27, 2022
Summary
Mindfulness may improve chronic pain. A nonjudgmental approach to pain was linked to better outcomes, while observing pain was associated with worse disability and anxiety in chronic orofacial pain patients.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Pain Management
- Behavioral Medicine
Background:
- Chronic pain, particularly orofacial pain, significantly impacts quality of life.
- Mindfulness-based interventions show promise for managing chronic pain.
- Specific facets of mindfulness may differentially affect pain-related outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the associations between specific mindfulness facets and pain-related outcomes in individuals with chronic orofacial pain.
- To identify which mindfulness facets are most strongly associated with pain intensity, disability, anxiety, and depression.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study design.
- Participants: 303 individuals with chronic orofacial pain.
- Statistical analysis: Multiple regressions to assess associations between mindfulness facets and pain outcomes, controlling for covariates.
Main Results:
- The mindfulness facet 'nonjudging' was associated with better pain-related outcomes.
- 'Observing' was linked to increased pain-related disability and anxiety.
- 'Nonjudging' was the sole mindfulness facet independently associated with reduced pain-related disability, anxiety, and depression.
Conclusions:
- Cultivating a nonjudgmental stance towards pain may be a key therapeutic target for improving outcomes in chronic orofacial pain.
- The specific way individuals engage with mindfulness (e.g., judging vs. observing) is crucial for its effectiveness in pain management.
- Further research should explore mindfulness-based interventions focusing on nonjudgmental awareness for chronic orofacial pain.
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