Study expands repertoire of cancer pain management by highlighting rapid, holistic benefits of just 20 minutes of mindful breathing.
- Deep breathing involves focusing a person’s attention on their breathing.
- A 20-minute session can quickly reduce the intensity and unpleasantness of pain in a cancer patient.
- Additionally, this nonpharmacological intervention relieves anxiety and depression associated with cancer pain.
In cancer, pain is a prevalent symptom. In fact, it affects approximately 30–40% of patients worldwide, due to compression or invasion of the tumor into surrounding tissues, neuropathic mechanisms, and side effects of treatment. Despite advances in pain management and the evolution of the range of drugs and nerve blocks, “Inadequate pain control remains a major challenge for clinicians”scientists from the University of Malaysia Sarawak (Malaysia) reported.
Cancer: a 20-minute session of conscious breathing or listening and support
However, nonpharmacological interventions (acupuncture, massage, cognitive behavioral therapy, physical activity), including mindfulness-based approaches, have shown promise in relieving cancer-related pain. In a recent study, researchers set out to explore the effectiveness of a single 20-minute session of mindful breathing in reducing pain in adults with cancer. Specifically, they recruited 40 hospitalized people with different types of cancer who had a pain score of 4 or more out of 10, indicating moderate to severe pain. Information on painkiller use (including morphine), which was extracted from hospital medical records, revealed that nearly two-thirds (65%) used opioids to control their pain.
One group of 21 adults underwent a mindful breathing session, guided by a professional trained in mindfulness techniques. The session included a brief explanation of mindfulness concepts and practices. This was followed by 20 minutes of mindful breathing, comprising four steps of five minutes each: identifying the inhalation and exhalation, following the entire duration of the breath, bringing the mind back to the body and relaxing the body, starting from the head down to the feet. The other group of 19 people received a 20-minute listening and support session led by a doctor, during which they were asked questions about their experiences of the disease. Before and after each intervention, the intensity and unpleasantness of pain as well as the hospital anxiety and depression scale of each patient were measured.
Reduced pain intensity, anxiety and depression through deep breathing
The results, published in the journal BMJ Supportive & Palliative Careshowed that the group that received the conscious breathing session experienced a much greater and more significant reduction in pain intensity and discomfort than the control group. They also had a much greater decrease in the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale score.
Although this study has limitations (small sample size, intervention delivered at a single medical center, subjective data on pain/discomfort intensity and psychological outcomes), this brief intervention may complement traditional pharmacological approaches. “Furthermore, the 100% response rate and the absence of adverse events underscore the feasibility and safety of the 20-minute conscious breathing intervention. The intervention can be quickly learned and applied with beneficial effect,” added the authors.