| Chronic pain is a disabling health problem that affects 75 to 80 million Americans, especially the elderly in long-term health care facilities. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of mindfulness meditation in the management of chronic pain in elderly patients. A convenience sample of forty-six residents with chronic pain was recruited from two nursing homes in New York City. Participants completed a 4-week mindfulness meditation-training program while they continued their traditional pain treatment plans. The study measured changes in the manifestations of pain and power from pretest to posttest scores, using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain perception and the Power as Knowing Participation in Change Test, Version 11 (PKPCT, V11). Rogers Science of Unitary Human Beings was used as the conceptual framework and the design was pre-test and post-test. Results indicated that there was a statistically significant reduction in pain as measured by the VAS from time one (pre-test) to time two (post-test) for those who practiced mindfulness meditation, F&barbelow; (1, 44) = 13.57, p&barbelow;<.001. Additionally, there was a statistically significant increase in a participant's feeling of power from time one (M=156.41, SD=14.92) to time two (M&barbelow;=202.22, SD=14.17). However, there was no relationship between power and pain. Further studies need to be conducted to see the optimum length of time a mindfulness meditation program needs to last in order to reap the maximum benefits. Results indicate mindfulness meditation training may decrease in sense of pain perception and increase in sense of power. This training warrants further investigation regarding its effect on chronic pain and power as knowing participation in change. |
