Effects of Meditation on Symptoms of Knee Osteoarthritis: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Objective The aim of this study was to investigate changes in knee pain, function, and related indices in older adults with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee, following an 8-week meditation program. Methods Eleven community-dwelling adults with physician- confirmed knee OA were enrolled in the study. Core outcomes included recommended measures of knee pain (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index [WOMAC] and 11-point numeric rating scale [NRS]), function (WOMAC), and perceived global status (patient global assessment). Additional outcomes included: perceived stress; stress hardiness; mood; sleep; and sympathetic activation. Following baseline assessment, participants were trained briefly in mantra meditation and instructed to meditate for 15–20 minutes twice daily for 8 weeks, and to record each practice session on a daily log. Changes over time were analyzed using paired t-tests. Results Nine participants (82%) completed the study. Participants had statistically significant improvements in all core outcomes: knee pain (WOMAC: 47.7% ± 25.1% reduction, P = 0.001; NRS: 42.6% ± 34.6% reduction, P < 0.01); function (44.8% ± 29.9, P = 0.001); and global status (45.7% ± 36.5, P = 0.01); as well as knee stiffness (P = 0.005), mood (P = 0.05), and a WOMAC proxy for sleep disturbance (P = 0.005). Conclusions Findings from this pilot study suggest that a mantra meditation program may help reduce knee pain and dysfunction, as well as improving mood and related outcomes in adults with knee OA.

Online Training in Specific Meditation Practices Improves Gratitude, Well-Being, Self-Compassion, and Confidence in Providing Compassionate Care Among Health Professionals

“…Clinicians trained in other mindfulness practices have shown greater ability to use these techniques in clinical practice 39 ; introducing positive-emotion-generating meditation to patients with chronic pain, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and social anxiety could improve disease management. 6 –8,10,11,13…”

“…Practices that intentionally focus on a positive word, image, or emotion tend to generate more positive emotion. 2 –5 These practices (including gratitude meditation, positive-word-focused meditation, loving-kindness meditation, and others) benefit patients with chronic pain, 6 –9 depression, 10 posttraumatic stress disorder, 11,12 and social anxiety, 13 but could also be useful for health professionals.…”

Effects of Mantra Meditation versus Music Listening on Knee Pain, Function, and Related Outcomes in Older Adults with Knee Osteoarthritis: An Exploratory Randomized Clinical Trial (RCT)

“…Although knee OA is a complex condition that remains incompletely understood [ 75 ], multiple interrelated factors likely contribute to the etiology and progression of OA. These include physical, neurobiological, and physiologic factors (e.g., altered neurologic structure and function, inflammation, joint degeneration, obesity, deterioration in muscular strength and cardiovascular fitness, and pain sensitization) as well as psychosocial and behavioral factors (e.g., sleep impairment, mood disturbance, low social support, pain-related fear, avoidant coping strategies, and sedentary behavior) [ 31 , 76 – 78 ]. OA pain and dysfunction have been bidirectionally linked to distressful states and maladaptive behaviors, including psychologic stress [ 8 , 79 – 81 ], depression and anxiety [ 79 , 82 – 84 ], sleep impairment [ 7 , 9 , 85 – 87 ], fatigue [ 8 , 84 , 88 ], pain-related fear, [ 79 , 89 , 90 ], and catastrophizing [ 79 , 91 – 94 ].…”

“…Participants were provided with home practice logs to complete daily, recording the time and any comments regarding the daily session; practice logs were collected at the follow-up assessment. Finally, upon completion of the 8-week intervention or leaving the study, participants completed an exit questionnaire adapted from that used in our previous trials [ 31 , 60 – 62 ] and including both structured and open-ended questions regarding the participants' experience with the study, perceived benefits and problems with the interventions, barriers to adherence, and other concerns.…”

“…There is also growing evidence that meditation and music-based interventions, including simple, passive music listening, may reduce pain [ 26 – 29 ], improve mood [ 26 – 30 ], and enhance QOL [ 28 , 29 ] in adults with OA and other musculoskeletal [ 26 – 28 ] and chronic noncancer pain conditions [ 27 , 28 , 30 ]. In our recent uncontrolled trial of mantra meditation in older adults with knee OA, participants showed marked and significant improvements in pain and physical function, mood, and a proxy measure for sleep following completion of a simple 8-week mantra meditation program [ 31 ]. However, despite the promise and apparent therapeutic potential of these simple therapies, rigorous studies regarding the effects of meditation or music in adults with OA are lacking.…”