Mind–Body Training: A Plausible Strategy against Osteomuscular Chronic Pain—A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis

TL;DR

This review finds that mind-body therapies can help reduce chronic pain in older adults, offering a non-drug approach to improve their quality of life.

Contribution

The study provides a meta-analysis showing the efficacy of mind-body therapies for chronic pain in older adults.

Findings

Mind-body therapies reduced chronic pain in older adults.

These therapies improved quality of life and daily functioning.

They offer a non-pharmacological alternative for pain management.

Abstract

(1) Background: Chronic pain, which affects more than one in five adults worldwide, has a negative impact on the quality of life, limiting daily activities and generating absences from work. The aim of the present review is to analyze the efficacy of mind–body therapies as therapeutic strategies for patients with chronic pain. (2) Methods: A systematic review with a meta-analysis was carried out, searching PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases using specific keywords. We selected studies that included mind–body therapies as the primary intervention for older adults with chronic pain. The methodological quality of the articles was assessed using the PEDro scale. (3) Results: Of the 861 studies identified, 11 were included in this review, all of which employed different mind–body therapies as an intervention. The selected studies measured chronic pain as the main variable. (4) Conclusions: This review highlights the value of mind–body exercises in reducing chronic pain in older adults, suggesting their integration as a non-pharmacological therapeutic alternative that improves the quality of life, promoting a holistic approach to pain management.

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