Mindfulness in the Orthopedic Clinic Waiting Room Decreases Pain: Results From A Randomized Controlled Trial

Pain is the leading reason patients seek orthopedic care, but many experience significant delays before seeing a provider. This single-site, parallel-group randomized controlled trial evaluated whether an audio-recorded, brief mindfulness-based intervention (BMBI) delivered in an orthopedic clinic waiting room could reduce pain among patients awaiting an x-ray.

Participants (n = 159) had a mean age of 52 years (SD = 16.3), were predominantly female (64%) and white (78%). Average pain intensity at baseline was 5.65 (SD = 2.18). Participants were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive either a 4-min audio-recorded BMBI or a 4-min injury management control recording. Pain unpleasantness and pain intensity were measured pre- and post-intervention using numeric rating scales.

BMBI Participants reported significantly lower post-intervention pain unpleasantness (4.26 vs. 4.95, p = .021, d = .39) and pain intensity (4.23 vs. 5.21, p < .001, d = .59) compared to the control group. Although pain decreased in both groups, reductions were significantly greater in the BMBI group (p < .05). Notably, 52% of BMBI participants experienced a clinically meaningful pain reduction (i.e., ≥ 10%), compared to 33% in the control group (p = .041). Additionally, more BMBI participants expressed interest in further pain management resources (54% vs. 38%, p = .032).

An audio-recorded BMBI can produce statistically significant and clinically meaningful reductions in acute pain among orthopedic patients in the waiting room and may enhance their desire to seek additional pain management resources. As such, audio-delivered BMBIs represent a complementary pain management approach that can be delivered without clinician involvement. Findings highlight the need to further enhance patient engagement with MBIs in the waiting room and assess their effectiveness across a variety of healthcare environments.

This trial was prospectively registered. Registry: ClinicalTrials.gov, TRN: NCT06171009, Registration date: September 19th 2024.