Pain Studies and Treatment, 2015, 3, 38-45 Published Online October 2015 in SciRes. http://www.scirp.org/journal/pst http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/pst.2015.34005 How to cite this paper: Skaer, T.L. (2015) Research Findings Using Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Chronic Pain. Pain Studies and Treatment, 3, 38-45. http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/pst.2015.34005 Research Findings Using Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Chronic Pain Tracy L. Skaer Department of Pharmacotherapy, Washington State University, College of Pharmacy, Pullman, WA, USA Email: tskaer@wsu.edu Received 8 September 2015; accepted 12 October 2015; published 15 October 2015 Copyright © 2015 by author and Scientific Research Publishing Inc. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution International License (CC BY). http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Abstract Chronic pain is a complex condition that is very detrimental to physical and psychological wellbe- ing. It carries a significant level of disability and economic burden. Pain patients frequently expe- rience comorbid mental illness (e.g. depression, anxiety, PTSD, insomnia) and often require psy- chotherapeutic interventions in addition to medication management. Mindfulness-based inter- ventions (MBIs) have emerged as a means to treat several chronic conditions (e.g. chronic pain, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, stress, insomnia). The objective of this review is to evaluate the current research on the use of MBIs in chronic pain managment. Although there are several controlled trials on the use of MBIs in chronic pain management, only a few studies were found that demonstrated significant effects on pain intensity, quality of life, as well as physical and psy- chological functioning. Therefore, the current evidence is mixed and there are insufficient data to definitively confirm the full impact of the use of MBIs in chronic pain conditions such as fibro- myalgia, chronic low back pain, rheumatoid arthritis, and chronic musculoskeletal pain. The lack of compelling evidence at this time signals a demand for higher quality investigations in this area. Research examining MBIs and concomitant CBT may be of great value in order to synergize and strengthen patient outcomes. Keywords Chronic Pain, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Low Back Pain, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Depression, Anxiety, Quality of Life, Psychiatric Comorbidities 1. Introduction Chronic pain results in significant economic, societal and health burdens. It is the leading cause of long-term disability, affects over 100 million people in the US, and accounts for $635 billion annually in direct and indi-