Effects of a Mind-Body Program for Chronic Pain in Older versus Younger Adults

Abstract

Purpose

Improving physical function is key to decreasing the burden of chronic pain across the lifespan. Although mind-body interventions show promise in increasing physical function in chronic pain, very little is known about whether older and younger adults derive similar benefit. Indeed, older adults experience higher rates of chronic pain and greater impacts of pain on physical function compared to younger adults. Therefore, additional work is needed to determine the extent of benefit older versus younger adults receive from a mind-body intervention. Here, we examined age differences in the effects of two mind-body and walking programs on pain and multimodal physical function.

Participants and Methods

Participants were 82 individuals with heterogenous chronic musculoskeletal pain (66% female, 57% aged ≥50 years) who participated in a feasibility randomized controlled trial of two mind-body interventions. They completed self-reported (WHODAS 2.0), performance-based (6-minute walk test), and objective (accelerometer-measured step count) measures of physical function, as well as self-report measures of pain intensity, before and after the intervention.

Results

Results indicated that adults aged ≥50 (vs adults aged <50) demonstrated greater improvements in performance-based physical function (6-minute walk test) and reductions in pain during activity. No age differences in the effects of the intervention on self-reported or objectively measured physical function were observed.

Conclusion

Collectively, these findings suggest that older adults can achieve equivalent or greater benefits from mind-body programs for chronic pain, despite facing unique challenges to chronic pain management (eg, multimorbidity, greater sedentary behavior).

Keywords:

• older adults
• physical function
• pain
• disability
• mindfulness

Data Sharing Statement

Data and associated study documents are available from the corresponding author upon request.

Disclosure

Ana-Maria Vranceanu and Jonathan Greenberg are co-senior authors for this study. The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (1K23AT012364-01 to JB; IR34AT00935601A1 and 1K24AT011760-01 to AMV; 1K23AT010653-01A1 to JG).